Ohio EPA Considers Permit to Allow Data Centers to Dump Toxic Wastewater into Great Lakes; What are the Alternatives?

BY JEFF SKINNER 

STATEWIDE - While the state and the nation inches ever closer to launching a wide-reaching technological infrastructure, the ramifications of the next stage of this deployment are just now being discussed. The Ohio EPA is currently mulling over approval of a permit which would allow data centers to dump toxic wastewater into the great lakes, potentially altering ecology indefinitely, though the alternatives could be even worse. 

The permit would allow data centers to dump toxic wastewater containing a bevy of dangerous compounds into the state waterways in a move that has been overtly shocking for the agency tasked with environmental protection, though unsurprising for those who still remember East Palestine. 

Data centers typically drain massive amounts of local water to use in cooling systems, which over time, after being cycled repeatedly, collect multiple hazardous compounds including PFAS (forever chemicals from refrigerants/hardware), glycols (antifreeze), corrosion inhibitors (phosphates, azoles, nitrites, borates), biocides (chlorine, bromine), and heavy metals like copper, zinc, and lead, plus general facility chemicals like solvents and cleaning agents, posing significant environmental concerns. 

The permit limits specific amounts of known hazardous compounds the dumped wastewater can contain, but is presumed to be moving forward with the permit because it is ‘economically necessary’. 

“It has been determined that a lowering of water quality of various waters of the state associated with granting coverage under this permit is necessary to accommodate important social and economic development in the state of Ohio.” One EPA document said. 

In short, the EPA is permitting mass contamination of the state waterways because of financial incentive and pressure. 

Unfortunately, because political officials have deemed it important enough to hand the state over to a fourth industrial revolution, regardless of public will, there is very little alternative to the lake dumping. Data centers traditionally outside of range for such environmental contamination typically dump wastewater back into the local sewer systems. Given the chemical composition of the wastewater in play, it is highly unlikely most water treatment facilities are able to remove all chemical and heavy metal additives which would be pushed into municipal water supplies statewide.

It was additionally noted this year that the federal Environmental Protection Agency rolled back restrictions on PFAS exposures, effectively releasing municipalities from the need to completely filter them out. 

While a complete list of side effects for all chemicals contained in data center wastewater would be far reaching, for just PFAS, exposure has been linked to weakened immune response, liver damage, thyroid disease, kidney and testicular cancers, and pregnancy complications like preeclampsia and lower birth weights, affecting reproductive, developmental, and cardiovascular systems. 

Given the broader picture available from this information, it is highly concerning that the EPA has effectively opened the door for mass contamination of municipal water supplies throughout the state and the Ohio EPA is now considering approving a mass destruction of the great lakes region as well.