Ohio EPA will not finalize proposed data center general permit

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has announced it will not finalize a proposed general permit for wastewater discharges from data centers, opting instead to continue using the existing individual permitting process.

The decision follows an extensive public comment period on the draft National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) general permit, during which Ohio agricultural organizations raised concerns about the proposal’s potential impact on water quality protections.

Ohio Farm Bureau applauded the EPA’s decision.

“This is the right decision for our state, and we appreciate Ohio EPA’s willingness to listen to our members’ concerns and maintain their current permitting approach,” said Jack Irvin, vice president of public policy for Ohio Farm Bureau. “The individualized NPDES permitting process, for facilities like data centers, gives regulators the ability to evaluate each project based on its unique circumstances while maintaining Ohio’s work toward water quality.”

According to Ohio EPA, the agency carefully reviewed the significant volume of public comments before determining that the individual NPDES permit issuance process is the most appropriate path forward.… Continue reading