Trump's EPA Proposes Changes That Could Limit Public Oversight of Data Center Pollution
The Trump administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing changes to a long-standing air pollution rule that would remove federal requirements for public notice and comment when certain industrial sites, including data centers, apply for air permits. The New Source Review process has been in place since the 1970s but will now shift responsibility for notifying communities onto state and local agencies. Advocates warn this change could allow developers to bypass community input entirely, reducing transparency around new projects like AI-driven data centers that require significant energy infrastructure. Critics argue it undermines public accountability by letting permits be issued in secret until construction begins. The EPA claims the move will reduce regulatory burdens on minor pollution sources, but environmental groups dispute this characterization. The proposal has drawn strong opposition from over 200 health and environmental organizations, who have urged the agency to withdraw its plan. Legal threats are already emerging as seen with xAI’s Colossus 1 data center in Tennessee.
