The Trump Administration Wants to Change Public Engagement Rules for Polluters
The EPA is considering a rule change that would grant states more authority over public participation in the permitting process for new air pollution sources. Critics argue this could limit community oversight of industrial projects like data centers that use gas-powered generators.
Why it matters
This shift could significantly impact environmental transparency and the ability of local communities to challenge industrial development in their neighborhoods.
On Wednesday, the Environmental Protection Agency held a public hearing on a proposed rule change that would hand the power to states to decide how the public participates in the permitting process for certain new sources of air pollution. The proposed rollback comes as data centers face greater pushback across the US, with many communities using the permitting process to try to slow down development. Any changes could have major consequences for how ordinary people are given notice about new or expanded polluting facilities coming into their neighborhoods.
“As someone actively working in communities with data centers, I know this to be fundamentally true: People want to have a say,” Vanessa Lynch, a Pennsylvania organizer with Moms Clean Air Force, said at the EPA hearing.
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