Former Environmental Protection Agency researchers, now affiliated with the nonprofit Environmental Protection Network, have released a report expressing concerns about regulatory changes affecting data center operations. The former officials contend that since January 2025, the Trump administration’s EPA has implemented approximately 30 different actions that weaken pollution protections, permitting procedures, and inspection standards relevant to the data center industry.
The United States currently operates roughly 3,000 data centers, with more than 1,500 additional facilities in various stages of planning and development. As this energy-intensive infrastructure continues to expand, former EPA officials argue that critical governmental oversight mechanisms designed to ensure safe development are being dismantled. Dan Costa, a researcher who spent 35 years studying air pollution at the EPA, noted that the agency historically maintained a substantial workforce dedicated to identifying emerging pollution sources and environmental hazards. He stated that this research capacity has been significantly reduced under the current administration.
The Trump administration’s EPA, led by Administrator Lee Zeldin, has explicitly prioritized positioning the United States as a global leader in artificial intelligence development. In a memo issued last year, Zeldin indicated the agency’s commitment to supporting AI advancement by reducing regulatory requirements, allowing companies to construct and operate the data centers and power generation facilities necessary for this technological expansion.
Deregulatory measures have taken several forms, including decisions to extend the operational lifespan of existing coal-fired power plants and relax restrictions on onsite fossil fuel turbines used by major data center operators. The EPA has proposed a rule modification permitting developers to begin construction on data centers and associated power infrastructure before obtaining air pollution permits. The agency has also directed enforcement personnel to refrain from actions that could “unduly burden or significantly disrupt” energy production.
Former EPA official Lynn Goldman, a physician and former administrative officer, warned that health consequences from increased data center-related pollution could manifest in both the short and long term. Short-term effects may include heart attacks or premature births linked to particulate matter exposure, while longer-term consequences such as cancer may emerge over years. A study referenced in the former researchers’ report estimated that pollution associated with the AI industry expansion could result in approximately 1,300 additional deaths annually.
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