Stuart: Water permit to Amazon would be ‘indefensible’

Virginia State Senator Richard Stuart has strongly objected to a permit request by Amazon Data Services to withdraw 6.4 million gallons of water annually from the Potomac aquifer for a proposed data center campus in King George County. Senator Stuart, who also serves as the county attorney for King George, sent a letter to Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Director Mike Rolband, arguing that granting the permit would be "indefensible" in light of DEQ's recent "Groundwater Supply East of Interstate 95" report. This comprehensive study concluded that the coastal aquifer has insufficient capacity for additional significant withdrawals.

Stuart highlighted the contradiction of DEQ directing King George County to find alternative drinking water sources due to aquifer depletion, a transition costing taxpayers $100 million, while simultaneously considering a permit for a major corporation. He cited the Groundwater Management Act of 1992, which prioritizes human consumption, and asserted that any remaining groundwater capacity should be reserved for Virginia citizens' drinking water, not for corporate uses like "lawn and landscape irrigation."

The Amazon permit request is currently under review with a public hearing concluding on September 11, despite DEQ staff having tentatively recommended approval prior to the report's release. Additionally, Amazon is engaged in a lawsuit against King George County regarding the Birchwood Tech Campus project, with a trial scheduled for September 28. Stuart is urging Governor Abigail Spanberger to call a special session of the General Assembly to act on the water report's findings, viewing the DEQ's permit decision as a critical test of whether the report will influence policy or remain disregarded.