West Virginia permit filings detail environmental impacts of two Mason County data center projects
West Virginia environmental filings indicate that two planned data center projects in Mason County could cause substantial air, water, wetland and stream impacts. The Nscale-affiliated Monarch Cloud Campus has already received multiple violations for erosion, sediment and stormwater failures, while public hearings on its air and water permits are expected to draw opposition.
Documents filed with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection detail expected environmental impacts from two data center developments in Mason County: Nscale-affiliated Monarch Cloud Campus near Point Pleasant and Starwood Digital Ventures’ Project Tamarack near West Columbia. Monarch’s planned 2.16-gigawatt off-grid power facility and data center campus could affect streams and wetlands, while Project Tamarack would disturb about 227 acres and also require roughly 2.16 gigawatts of power.
Monarch has already received multiple DEP violation notices and an enforcement order after stormwater runoff, sediment and dust escaped the construction site, flooding nearby properties and affecting an Ohio River tributary. The company says it has strengthened erosion controls, added water trucks and improved road and sweeping operations. DEP has preliminarily determined that Monarch’s air permit complies with applicable requirements, but public workshops and hearings on its air and water permits are scheduled in Point Pleasant and online, prompting calls from residents and the West Virginia Rivers Coalition for the permits to be rejected.