A look at the lessons learned from 1 S.C. data center
Researchers monitoring air quality near a Valera Holdings data center under construction in Spartanburg County, SC, report rising pollution levels (particulate matter) that are considered unhealthy for sensitive groups, even before operation. The facility is designed to be a large gas-powered plant, and the company is not legally required to disclose potential toxic chemicals. The Spartanburg County Council has scheduled a public safety committee meeting to discuss these concerns.
Dr. Jen Bradom, an environmental scientist at Wofford College, and her team are monitoring air quality near a new data center construction site in Spartanburg County, South Carolina. Using small particulate matter sensors, they have already detected pollution levels above 100 on the air quality scale, which is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups, even before the facility's turbines are operational. These tiny particles, if inhaled, are linked to health issues like anemia and heart disease.
Dr. Bradom emphasized that the core concern isn't just the data center itself, but its proposed function as the eighth-largest gas-powered power plant in South Carolina. When natural gas burns, it produces microscopic particles that are invisible to the eye.
The company behind the project, Valera Holdings, is not legally required to provide a list of potential toxic chemicals due to a state law from the 1990s, leaving researchers and the public without crucial information regarding emissions and their impact.
In response, the Spartanburg County Council has scheduled a specially called public safety committee meeting for Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at the Spartanburg County Administration Building, which will be open to the public to address these concerns. Fox Carolina News is awaiting comment from Valera Holdings.