Fortis

Data Center Signal is tracking 8 clips about Fortis data center developments across 1 states, including WY.

8Clips

1States

States

Topics

environmental100%

government100%

water100%

opposition25%

legal13%

zoning13%

News ClipKOTA Territory News·Cheyenne, Laramie County, WY

‘White colonies’ of petri dish bacteria led to data center pollution fine

The Meta Cheyenne Data Center received a $10,000 fine and a citation for "serious noncompliance" with wastewater discharge standards after white bacterial colonies, identified as Cupriavidus gilardii, were discovered in the city's reclaimed-water system. Meta has appealed the citation and is seeking a contested-case hearing, denying responsibility for cleanup costs. The incident has raised public concerns regarding industrial development and environmental protection.

environmental legal water government opposition

Meta

7/26/2026

News ClipCowboy State Daily·Cheyenne, Laramie County, WY

Hageman Demands Answers From Zuckerberg About Cheyenne Data Center Contamination

U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman has demanded answers from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg regarding a wastewater contamination incident at its Cheyenne data center. The incident, traced to a Meta contractor, led to the shutdown of the city's reclaimed wastewater system for months. Hageman and local officials have expressed concern over the contamination and the delay in public disclosure.

environmental water government

Meta

7/9/2026

News ClipHeatmap News·Cheyenne, Laramie County, WY

Cheyenne investigates bacterial contamination linked to Meta data center wastewater discharge$

Cheyenne, Wyoming's Board of Public Utilities detected a dangerous bacteria, Cupriavidus gilardii, in the city's wastewater system, which it linked to a Meta data center project. This led the city to indefinitely ban data center projects from disposing of "fill-and-flush water" in the sewer system. The incident has intensified public opposition to data centers and prompted an ongoing investigation and potential fines.

water environmental government opposition zoning

Meta

7/9/2026

News ClipColombiaOne.com·Cheyenne, Laramie County, WY

Meta Data Center Linked to Rare Bacterium as Wyoming City Tightens Wastewater Rules

Cheyenne officials traced a rare bacterium in the city's reclaimed water system to wastewater discharged during testing at a Meta data center under construction. As a result, Cheyenne has tightened industrial wastewater regulations specifically for data center cooling systems and cited the contractor Goat Systems LLC for noncompliance. The city emphasized that public drinking water was not affected by the incident.

environmental government water

Meta

7/8/2026

News Clipbreitbart.com·Cheyenne, Laramie County, WY

Meta’s Massive Wyoming AI Data Center Contaminates Cheyenne’s Wastewater Treatment System with Rare Bacteria

A contractor for Meta's Cheyenne, Wyoming data center, Goat Systems LLC, contaminated the city's municipal wastewater system with a rare bacterium. This led the Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities to suspend all industrial wastewater acceptance from data center operations. City officials expressed disappointment, and Meta is supporting its general contractor, Fortis, in resolving the issue.

environmental water government

Meta

7/7/2026

News Clipinkl·Cheyenne, Laramie County, WY

Meta Contractor's Wastewater Discharge Contaminates Cheyenne Water, Leads to New City Policy

A Meta contractor's wastewater discharge contaminated Cheyenne's reclaimed water system with a rare bacterium, causing a months-long shutdown. The incident led to the City of Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities permanently banning data center fill-and-flush and closed-loop cooling wastewater from the municipal sewer. Meta and its general contractor, Fortis, are working with the city to resolve the issue.

environmental government water

Meta

7/5/2026

News Clipmibolsillo.co·Cheyenne, Laramie County, WY

Meta changes waste practices after environmental incident

Meta has implemented stricter waste management practices at its Cheyenne data center after an environmental incident where a rare bacterium was released into the city's reclaimed water system during construction. The city has permanently revoked Meta's discharge privileges and enacted new regulations and infrastructure requirements for all data centers to prevent similar future contaminations. Meta and its contractors face fines to cover remediation costs.

environmental water government

Meta

7/5/2026

News ClipWyomingNews.com·Cheyenne, Laramie County, WY

Cheyenne BOPU traces rare bacteria discharge to Meta data center contractor

A contractor for Meta's data center in Cheyenne, Goat Systems LLC, was identified as the source of a rare bacteria, Cupriavidus gilardii, discharged into the city's wastewater system. In response, the Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities (BOPU) temporarily suspended reclaimed water irrigation, terminated Meta's discharge privileges, and adopted new policies restricting data center wastewater discharges from certain cooling systems. The incident did not affect drinking water, but some bacteria entered Crow Creek.

environmental water government

Meta

7/2/2026