Lake Anna residents object to VPDES permit for AWS campus

During a public comment meeting in Louisa County, Virginia, residents and environmental groups voiced strong opposition to a draft Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (VPDES) permit for Amazon Data Services, Inc.'s Lake Anna Technology Campus. The permit, sought by Amazon Web Services (AWS), would authorize the daily discharge of 280,000 gallons of treated non-contact cooling water into Sedges Creek, which flows into Lake Anna. The campus is one of two AWS data centers currently under construction in Louisa County. Lauren Voluck, an environmental program manager for AWS, stated that the company is following regulatory processes and aims for maximum efficiency, including using outside air cooling for 96% of the year. She assured attendees that the discharged water would not heat Lake Anna. However, residents like Earl Chidester and James Tyo, along with Michael Price, expressed concerns about potential thermal pollution, the 89.6-degree Fahrenheit discharge limit, and the impact on property values and the lake's ecosystem. Nicki Atwood questioned the disconnect between AWS's messaging of infrequent water use and a permit allowing daily discharge. Harry Looney, representing the Lake Anna Civic Association and Lake Anna Advisory Committee, formally registered concerns about water quality impacts, the transparency of chemical additives, and the concentration of minerals in spent cooling water. He also raised a critical point regarding the timing of the permit, questioning why the meeting was held after construction had already begun, implying an inversion of the regulatory process. Looney cited a recent Roanoke Circuit Court ruling that established a legal precedent against withholding data center water usage information under FOIA, pressing AWS and DEQ for public commitment to transparency. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is reviewing all public comments and will issue a response document, which will lead to another public hearing. Written comments are accepted until April 3, 2026. Following the second hearing, DEQ will make a final decision to approve, modify, or deny the permit.