Ohio EPA drops proposed blanket wastewater permit for data centers after public backlash
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has decided to abandon its proposed blanket wastewater discharge permit for data centers. This decision comes after receiving over 7,000 public comments and significant pushback from environmental groups and politicians from both parties. As a result, each data center facility in Ohio will now require an individual wastewater discharge permit.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Tuesday its decision to drop a proposed general wastewater discharge permit for data centers. This means that data centers across the state will no longer have a statewide shortcut to discharge wastewater into Ohio waterways and will instead require individual permits for each facility.
This move by the Ohio EPA follows a significant public reaction, with the agency reviewing more than 7,000 public comments regarding the proposed blanket permit. Both environmental groups and politicians from both parties expressed strong opposition to the plan, citing concerns about data centers' substantial water usage for cooling servers and the potential impact of wastewater discharge on Ohio's waterways.
For the foreseeable future, the Ohio EPA will continue its policy of reviewing each data center's wastewater discharge needs on a case-by-case basis.