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The EPA is planning to scrap public review rules for data center pollution

The EPA is planning to scrap public review rules for data center pollution

doener

Comments (100)

  • GolfPopper
    This is bad news for everyone (well, except the high priests of the LLMs / nascent Cthulhoid godlings), but it certainly makes the communities who've successfully opposed data centers seem ever more justified in retrospect.
  • agentultra
    The EPA hasn’t been able to regulate anything since it’s been gutted by the current administration. Of course it’s going to scrap rules. We’re not even allowed to measure the effects of climate change.
  • JohnFen
    That's in line with the EPA's new mission of ensuring environmental degradation.
  • 59percentmore
    Antis are running out of time to stop what they wish to stop without resorting to destructive methods (bold and extreme action is already necessary).Pros are running out of time to square their ambitions with a public that's about to go from needing a leg up to a public that wants their heads.
  • snowwrestler
    These changes will last exactly as long as this administration, so it would be a pretty foolish business that makes long term investment decisions based on this announcement.
  • twsted
    I can’t believe we’re seeing so much bad news coming from EPA. Why all this backtracking from an agency that used to be so effective and well organized? Well, I guess we know the reason.
  • l1n
  • awakeasleep
    I wonder if you could open any type of business as a datacenter now, to avoid the review.
  • millerm
    Executive Protection Agency
  • childofhedgehog
    Probably an oversimplified question but how do we actually stop this?
  • doctoboggan
    The administration is way behind the curve on this one. Data center opposition is one of the rare areas that has bipartisan support.
  • sambull
    When you can't tell if it's profit motive or the AGI has already taken over.
  • drop_star
    which reality show host is running the EPA now?
  • anon
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  • westurner
    So plan for a heavy crack down or a severe rule change after this probably short-lived partisan deregulatory action?And a return to voluntary membership in the Paris Agreement?
  • deadbabe
    It’s strange because on one hand, people don’t want to live near data centers, but on the other: the rampant use of AI signals people really *do* want data centers.The proposal to put data centers in space doesn’t seem too far fetched.
  • dyauspitr
    Goddamnit this is the worst possible administration to have while we’re having this massive buildup of data centers. Any reasonable government would have done what Massachusetts did and stipulated that you can build a data center, but it needs to be powered by renewable energy so build out your own energy sources, which would have been a win-win for everyone but instead we get this. Also, if the Democrats were in power, I hope they wouldn’t succumb to a minority in their base and just ban data centers and completely take us out of the race.
  • paimapi
    I love this line:>Last year, Lee Zeldin, who runs the EPA, said it was now the agency’s top priority to “make the United States the artificial intelligence capital of the world.” The 56-year-old agency was established in 1970 to protect the environment and public health.lol, reminds me of those videos where a host will say one thing and then the cameraman pans to reveal the lie
  • Simulacra
    Well, that's not gonna happen, under the administrative procedures act they'll have to open it up for public comment, which opens it up for lawsuits.
  • Fischgericht
    The crazy part is that everybody in the US calls this "data center pollution". Over here in Frankfurt/Germany, we have data centers in the middle of the city, right next to residential housing. You don't smell anything, you do not hear anything.A data center can simply put the heat pumps onto the roof or in the backyard pointing away from housing. Humans have developed noise protection systems for ages. All this stuff is available.This is just end-stage capitalism giving a sh*t about humans, burning fossil fuels without any filters of any kind next to kids playing outside like it's the year 1920.
  • ck2
    "for the next 800 days" (this is what I say in my head everytime I read a horrible headline)but of course a lot of permanent damage can be set in motion in that time
  • Analemma_
    Funnily enough this probably the most safetyist thing the administration could do at the moment, since this will certainly autocatalyze more opposition to DC construction in a bunch of states and probably accelerate the state-level moratoriums. A big thank you to the White House for taking AI pause as such an urgent priority.
  • jeffbee
    I'm pro-information and believe generally that anti-data-center activists are chasing a Glonzo on par with anti-5G electrosensitives. That said given the tide of opinion I'm overjoyed that Trump and his allies want to step into the fusilade to defend the unpopular.
  • epistasis
    I'm sure this will stop all the public opposition to data centers! /sThis type of thing will just enrage the opposition more, give them far more fuel, and attract far more people into opposing data centers.The ruling regime is used to controlling a subservient political group that always, 100% falls in line to marching orders. Now that they control the entire country, they either need to have oppressed tho populace enough that all objection gets arrested or is subject to immediate political violence. But that's not going to be possible with how unpopular they have made themselves.
  • anon
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  • WarmWash
    First of all, what is datacenter pollution?Second, why is the article trying so hard to make datacenters out as racist?
  • palmotea
    Perhaps the next administration will drop a few cluster bombs on some hyperscaler data centers. The air force needs targets to practice on, after all. Then throughout the land there will be much rejoicing and feelings of justice done, as trillions of dollars of GPUs go up in smoke.
  • schainks
    This is really bad news. Here's a good look at what infrasound is doing to humans near datacenters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bP80DEAbuo