A report from former EPA officials flags 30 federal actions since January 2025 that worsen data center pollution health risks.

Former EPA officials say the Trump administration is weakening environmental rules to speed AI data center construction, raising health risks. The Environmental Protection Network released a report that identifies 30 federal actions since January 2025 and says those actions worsen pollution from data centers.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has said he wants to make America the AI capital of the world through deregulation. The administration has rolled back dozens of rules and cut EPA staff and funding. The report says 17 of the 30 policy changes specifically mention AI or target data centers.

Builders and operators face growing scrutiny because data centers increasingly draw power from dirty sources, which can affect health beyond nearby communities. Deregulation lowers some compliance costs, but it also raises reputational and legal risk for teams that site, finance, or power AI infrastructure.

Former EPA officials are urging the White House to adopt a Data Center Health Protection Pledge. The Trump administration released an AI Action Plan in July 2025 that recommends streamlining or reducing regulations under the Clean Air Act. Operators should watch whether federal agencies keep exempting power plants and factories from pollution standards.

What matters

• Former EPA officials say 30 federal actions since January 2025 worsen data center pollution health risks.
• AI data centers increasingly rely on dirty energy, so builders face rising health and regulatory scrutiny.
• Watch whether the White House adopts the proposed Data Center Health Protection Pledge.

Why it matters

Watch whether the White House adopts the proposed Data Center Health Protection Pledge.

This GenAI News article was prepared in original wording using reporting and materials published by The Verge. Source reference: https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/994112/ai-data-center-pollution-health-epa.

Drafted by the GenAI News review pipeline.