Trump’s EPA wants to let data centers hide their air pollution

The EPA is proposing to eliminate a federal requirement for public notice and comment periods when certain industrial sites, including data centers, apply for air pollution permits. This change would shift the responsibility for notifying the public to state and local agencies, which could choose not to inform residents about new pollution sources in their areas. The proposal matters because data centers increasingly face community opposition, and removing public participation requirements would allow facilities to begin construction without nearby residents knowing about or weighing in on potential pollution impacts. The permitting process in question, called New Source Review, has been in place since the 1970s and covers various industrial facilities, though the EPA classifies data centers under "minor" sources of pollution, a designation that environmental advocates dispute.