Former EPA officials: Trump is letting data centers make people sick

A group of former EPA officials, now working with the nonprofit Environmental Protection Network, says the Trump administration has rolled back at least 30 pollution safeguards, permitting rules, and inspection practices since January 2025 — changes they warn could raise health risks as data centers multiply across the country. There are roughly 3,000 data centers in the U.S. now, with more than 1,500 more planned.

The report points to specific moves: keeping old coal plants running past their planned shutdown dates to power data centers, easing rules on fossil-fuel turbines used at large computing facilities, and a proposed rule that would let developers start building data centers and their power plants before getting air pollution permits. The EPA has also told enforcement staff to avoid actions that could "unduly burden or significantly disrupt" energy production. The agency has framed these changes as necessary to support the buildout of AI infrastructure and position the U.S. as a leader in AI.

The former officials cite research estimating that pollution tied to the AI boom could cause 1,300 additional deaths a year. A physician who worked at the EPA said some effects, like heart attacks or premature births linked to particle pollution, could show up quickly, while others, like cancer, might take years to appear. For homeowners, especially those near existing or planned data centers or power plants, this points to a growing gap in oversight of air pollution from the facilities powering AI — something to be aware of if new data center or power projects are proposed near your area.