Former US Environmental Protection Agency officials say federal deregulation is allowing the AI data-center boom to create avoidable pollution and health risks. Their Environmental Protection Network report identifies 30 actions since January 2025 that it says worsen those risks; 17 explicitly mention AI or data centers.
The cited changes include weaker pollution limits, exemptions for existing power plants and restrictions on renewable-energy projects. The administration’s July 2025 AI plan also called for reducing requirements under major air, water and hazardous-waste laws to speed permits for data centers and chip factories. Former officials argue that the effects extend beyond nearby communities because new gas generation, chip manufacturing and other supporting infrastructure release pollution elsewhere.
The group wants a Data Center Health Protection Pledge requiring the EPA to measure emissions, disclose who is exposed and restore enforcement capacity. It cites an academic study estimating that AI-related air pollution could cause up to 1,300 premature deaths and more than $20 billion in health costs by 2028, though those are modeled projections rather than observed outcomes. The EPA says its actions return rules to the best reading of the Clean Air Act and that it remains committed to protecting health while making the country an AI leader.