Amazon wants to discharge used data center water into a major waterway in Pennsylvania, sparking concern from locals.

What's happening?

The Citizens' Voice reported that Amazon Data Services asked the state Department of Environmental Protection for a permit to discharge non-contact cooling water from its data center into the Susquehanna River. The publication added that this type of request is fairly common in the state but that it worried local environmental groups. 

Anti-fracking activist Scott Cannon expressed concerns about the proposal.

"I would want to know where the water is coming from, how and where it will be discharged, and will it be treated before being discharged?" he told The Citizens' Voice. "Will pipelines need to be built to carry the water to the river?"

The DEP stated that when it issues such permits, "it authorizes the discharge of pollutants to surface waters only in amounts that will protect and maintain or restore water uses in those surface waters, which also satisfies the permit requirements of The Clean Streams Law."

Why is this news important?

The Citizens' Voice reported that nuclear plants in the area regularly dump used cooling water into rivers, backed by state-issued permits. However, it added that critics of this practice say that it makes the water warmer and harms aquatic life. 

An NRDC report that centered on power plant cooling systems states that discharging warm water into a river or lake can stress and kill fish and other wildlife, among other impacts. 

This adds to a wave of controversy surrounding data centers across the United States. In Tucson, Arizona, for example, residents are fighting a proposed Amazon data center that would use massive amounts of water and electricity. In Kansas, locals are rallying against a proposed 2 million-square-foot data center. These facilities use about 10-50 times as much energy per square foot compared to typical office buildings, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

What's being done about data center impacts?

Some data centers are at least partly tackling environmental concerns. For instance, Amazon announced that one of its data centers in Oregon will run on renewable energy.

Meanwhile, a coalition of over 200 groups has called for a moratorium on the construction of new data centers.

What's the most you'd pay per month to put solar panels on your roof if there was no down payment? $200 or more 💰 $100 💸 $30 💵 I'd only do it if someone else paid for it 😎 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices — and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD's exclusive Rewards Club.