The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency faces intense criticism for a proposal that would allow data centers to discharge hot water into the state’s waterways with minimal oversight, a move that Today in Ohio podcast hosts described as environmentally reckless and politically motivated.
The controversial proposal would create a general discharge permit for data centers rather than requiring site-specific reviews, giving a “blank check” to facilities that already consume massive amounts of electricity and contribute to higher utility bills for Ohio residents.
“I cannot believe that the state wants to just give a blank check to data centers to pretty much change the whole… biology of rivers and streams,” said Chris Quinn during Wednesday’s episode…