Vineland residents plan to sue data center over unpermitted natural gas engines
Vineland residents and environmental groups plan to sue DataOne over alleged violations of the federal Clean Air Act. New Jersey regulators previously fined the data center more than $1 million for operating 62 natural gas generators without the required permits.
Residents of Vineland, New Jersey, along with the grassroots group Sustain SJ and EarthJustice, announced plans to pursue legal action against DataOne over alleged Clean Air Act violations at its 300-megawatt data center. They contend that the facility’s natural gas generators and other equipment could emit toxic pollutants above federal limits and that required air-pollution controls are not in place.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection fined DataOne more than $1 million after finding that it operated 62 natural gas-powered generators without permits. The facility is being developed for Nebius Group’s artificial-intelligence infrastructure under a $17 billion deal with Microsoft, and the planned legal action follows continuing community criticism over the project’s transparency and environmental impacts.