Databank's Orangeburg Data Center Expansion Subject to NY Statewide Moratorium
Databank's data center expansion in Orangeburg, NY, is subject to a statewide moratorium for facilities consuming over 50 MW, requiring a Generic Environmental Impact Statement. State and county agencies have raised concerns about the project's potential environmental impacts, including thermal pollution and water quality, and criticized the segmented environmental review process. This has put the project's application on hold.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has determined that Databank's planned expansion of its Orangeburg Data Center in Orangeburg, New York, falls under Governor Hochul's Executive Order imposing a temporary statewide moratorium on data centers consuming over 50 MW. This decision means Databank's application remains incomplete until the New York State Department of Public Service (DPS) prepares a Generic Environmental Impact Statement, a requirement of the Executive Order. This ruling applies despite the Town of Orangetown's own six-month moratorium, from which Databank's expansion had been previously exempted.
Both the New York State Attorney General's Office and the Rockland County Department of Planning have expressed significant concerns regarding the project's environmental review. The Attorney General's Office highlighted the need for further study into potential adverse impacts such as thermal pollution, the efficacy of wastewater treatment for cooling systems, and effects on local climate and sensitive community receptors, including Lake Tappan.
The Rockland County Planning Department strongly objected to analyzing the Phase 2 expansion without incorporating the environmental impacts of Phase 1, labeling this "unpermitted segmentation" and arguing it contravenes the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA). They assert that all project phases, completed or anticipated, must be included in a comprehensive Draft Environmental Impact Statement to assess cumulative impacts.