Ohio - The Ohio EPA is considering a new statewide permit that would let data centers discharge certain wastewater into Ohio waterways.

The new permit would create a one-stop statewide approval process for data centers that discharge wastewater into bodies of waters including Lake Erie and the Ohio River.

According to the permit, it's been "determined that a lowering of water quality of various waters of the state associated with granting coverage under this permit is necessary to accommodate important social and economic development."

"The statement just saying, lowering water quality, is concerning, because these data centers we know are growing, there's more of them coming online. If anything, I think it should be stricter policies," Annette Wozny of Hilliard said. 

Environmental advocates told 21 News one concern is that data centers use a lot of water for cooling, and worry that discharge can change water conditions and release unwanted chemicals after running through pipes and HVAC systems.

"Those hvac systems and pipes are all treated with different kind of anti-corrosives," advocate Amy Swank of Dublin said, "They're sometimes made of plastics and other material. We can't say, because, again, we're talking about hypothetical data centers and with hypothetical systems, what those pipes contain."

In response to the concerns, Ohio EPA sent the following statement:

"A general National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit is considered for sites that are consistent in their potential discharges and have the same environmental impact. A general permit streamlines the administrative process for sites, making the permitting process faster and more efficient for the facility and Ohio EPA, while remaining protective of human health and the environment. By including strict eligibility criteria to be allowed coverage under the general permit, Ohio EPA can allow for a more concise permit application that includes specific information to ensure a project is eligible. 

 The term “lowering of water quality” is a regulatory phrase used in water permits. It means Ohio EPA recognizes that when a permit is issued for a new or expanded discharge, the body of water may receive a discharge that did not exist before. Without a permit, that discharge could not occur. 

Ohio EPA does not allow discharges that harm aquatic life, recreation, or human health. Every permit includes strict limits and monitoring requirements to ensure water quality standards are met at the state and federal levels.

The “lowering” language is standard in NPDES permits for new or expanded discharges. It applies to everything from small businesses, schools, or campgrounds with a discharge of treated sanitary waste to large municipal wastewater plants that expand to serve new homes or large industrial projects that support economic development and jobs.  

This fact sheet includes more discussion/description of operations that are covered under the general permit under Section III (page 2). The eligibility requirements and limitations for coverage under the permit are outlined on pages 2 through 4. These requirements outline the discharges that are allowed or excluded under this general permit. 

The pollutants that could be present in these discharges are included in Part III of the permit, under "Final Effluent limitations and monitoring requirements" (page 8). Additional explanation is provided in the fact sheet (page 6 section VII)."

However, advocates would like the state to rethink the blanket permit for facilities that aren't established yet and instead conduct a case-by-case review for each new data center.

The public is able to provide comments on the draft permit through the Ohio EPA's website until January 16th.