A state environmental agency has granted Google permission to eliminate more than two acres of wetland habitat for its Fort Wayne data center expansion, reported 21Alive News.
What happened?
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management granted Google authority to cover two-plus acres of wetlands by adding soil for the construction of five structures at its Project Zodiac facility.
Google submitted the application through Hatchworks, LLC. To offset the destruction, Google plans to buy 2.48 acres of unforested wetland credit and 1.58 acres of forested wetland credit from the Openings Wetland Mitigation Bank. The company has until Sept. 16, 2027, to complete this purchase.
The state accepted public comments between August 12 and September 11. Most people who submitted feedback opposed the plan…