A group of former Environmental Protection Agency officials has identified thirty federal actions taken since January 2025 that they say are worsening public health risks linked to pollution from data centers. Their report, released in September 2026, argues that recent policy shifts have weakened oversight of emissions and energy use tied to the rapid expansion of digital infrastructure. The officials, who served across multiple administrations, say these changes are occurring as data center construction accelerates nationwide, particularly in regions with vulnerable populations and limited regulatory scrutiny. They contend that the cumulative effect of these actions increases exposure to harmful pollutants, including nitrogen oxides and fine particulate matter, which are associated with respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses.
The former officials point to specific rollbacks in air monitoring requirements, relaxed permitting standards for backup generators, and reduced funding for EPA enforcement divisions as key contributors to the growing threat. Many data centers rely on diesel-powered generators during peak demand or grid outages, which emit pollutants directly into surrounding communities. According to the report, since January 2025, federal agencies have approved over 200 new data center projects without requiring cumulative impact assessments, despite known clusters in areas already failing to meet national air quality standards. One former regional administrator noted that local air quality boards often lack the authority or resources to challenge these approvals, leaving residents with little recourse. The report also highlights a decline in real-time emissions reporting from facilities classified as „essential infrastructure,”a designation expanded under recent energy security directives.
Experts warn that without renewed federal attention, the health burden from data center pollution could grow disproportionately in low-income communities and communities of color, which are more likely to host these facilities due to lower land costs and weaker zoning protections. The former EPA officials urge Congress to reinstate stricter emissions controls on backup power systems and to require comprehensive environmental reviews for all new data center developments exceeding a certain energy threshold. They also recommend restoring funding for the EPA’s Air and Radiation program to pre-2025 levels. Without such measures, they project a rise in asthma-related hospitalizations and premature deaths in affected regions over the next decade. The report concludes that balancing technological growth with environmental responsibility requires immediate policy correction, not further deregulation.
What specific pollutants are linked to data center operations? Data centers contribute to air pollution primarily through nitrogen oxides and fine particulate matter emitted by diesel generators used for backup power, as well as indirect emissions from electricity consumption tied to fossil fuel-based grids.
Why are former EPA officials raising this issue now? They argue that the cumulative impact of thirty federal actions since January 2025 has significantly weakened environmental oversight, coinciding with a rapid expansion of data center infrastructure that increases health risks in nearby communities.
What solutions do the former officials propose? They recommend restoring air monitoring requirements, enforcing stricter emissions limits on backup generators, mandating cumulative impact assessments for new projects, and increasing EPA funding to ensure effective enforcement of existing clean air laws.