On July 30, Policy Analyst Sophie Loeb submitted public comments to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality opposing air permits for a data center in Hamlet, North Carolina. Among other things, the comments note that the hundreds of proposed diesel generators at the site pose grave risks to Hamlet and surrounding communities. Diesel backup generators installed at data centers emit volatile organic compounds, nitrous oxides, sulfur dioxides, and particulate matter — all regulated air pollutants the EPA labels as hazardous to human health.
