The Dangers of Data Centers

Air Quality Degradation: Increased emissions from backup generators can worsen air quality, exacerbating respiratory issues such as asthma. Plume NOx can transform into NO2 and contribute to health impacts. Tiny particles that can come from combustion processes and/or fuel-related dust. These particles can be inhaled and can affect lungs, and the rest of your body, especially for sensitive individuals.

Water Scarcity: Data centers generate a lot of heat and require cooling systems, which use large amounts of water straining local water resources, leading to shortages for residents and affecting aquatic and terrestrial species reliant on local water bodies. Temperature increase, risk of chemical contamination, lower water tables and reduced stream flows, impacting all joined ecosystems. The Spokane Valley–Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer serves 600,000+ people, is already PFAS-contaminated, and is hydraulically connected to a river that ran dry in 2025. Water Recourses Affected; Bonners Ferry Prairie Aquifer, Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer, Coeur d'Alene Lake, Spokane Valley Aquifer, Spokane River, Nine Mile Falls, Ground Water, our emergency recourse water.

Heat Stress: Additional heat generated by the data center can contribute to urban heat islands, increasing the risk of heat-related illnesses, fire, crop failure, water algae, etc. Heat Generation: Approximately 1000 MW of heat. Household Comparison: The average U.S. household uses about 10,715 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, which is approximately 1.22 kW per hour. Thus, 1000 MW could power approximately 819,672 households simultaneously.

Increased Noise Pollution: Constant operation and cooling systems may elevate noise levels, affecting mental health, sleep quality, and interfering with wildlife communication and mating calls. The current Spokane County Counselman’s meeting reported the building would be capped at the same noise level as the Spokane Airport – 65 decibels. · Washington State law (WAC 173-60) limits industrial noise reaching a residential property to 60 dBA during the day and 50 dBA at night (10 pm–7 am). Internal noise levels inside can reach 96 dBA from cooling and server equipment. At a comparable facility noise was audible more than 3 miles away and penetrated closed windows. Homes and schools in high noise areas like airports are eligible for sound insulation improvements, such as upgraded windows and doors, to reduce indoor noise levels.

Emergency Response Strain and Increased Fire Risk: Infrastructure and electrical equipment increase the risk of fires, threatening wildlife, their habitats, and forest and grassland ecosystems. Natural Resources like water may be diverted to address data center needs, impacting emergency response capabilities for residents.

Habitat Disruption: Construction and operation can lead to habitat loss or fragmentation, affecting local wildlife populations. Changes in species populations and resource availability can disrupt ecological balance, leading to invasive species proliferation.

Light Pollution: Artificial lighting can disrupt wildlife behaviors, including feeding and breeding patterns. Light pollution is known to impact all ecosystems, disrupting natural rhythms and influencing negative effects on mental and cardiovascular health, hearing loss, stress, and insomnia, animal migration, plant growth and more.

Pollution: Emissions and potential chemical spills can contaminate soil and water, affecting plant and animal health. 19% aqueous ammonia solution as a refrigerant or cooling agent in a data center's cooling system. At this concentration, it is a hazardous chemical: it is toxic, corrosive, and can release flammable/irritating ammonia gas if leaked. Airway Heights already has Moderate air quality (PM2.5 is the main pollutant) and experiences poor air quality days from wildfire smoke.

Economic Burden: Some areas might experience a property decrease in value due to noise, traffic, or environmental concerns. Long-term maintenance of improved infrastructure might require ongoing public funding. Potential environmental degradation could lead to costly remediation efforts in the future, impacting public finances. Local governments might offer tax incentives to attract data center development, which could reduce tax revenues available for other public needs. If the data center commits to using renewable energy, subsidies might be offered, impacting the overall fiscal budget. A 2026 Harvard analysis estimated that air pollution from one Virginia data center could cause US$53–99 million in annual health damages, demonstrating the substantial public health cost of large data center operations.

Breach Risk & Exposure: Supporting a large load data center means supporting the acclamation of privet data from an unknown amount of people. It also supports the increase of what information they can store. Centralized Target, Permanent Theft, Security Vulnerabilities, Shared Infrastructure Risk, Shared Responsibility; the company storing data and/or the data center provider?

Job Creation vs. Cost of Living: Highly automated data centers require fewer staff. Data Centers have a low employment rate with the most jobs going to temporary construction workers. Some data centers outsource certain functions, which can reduce the number of on-site employees. The focus is often on highly skilled technical positions rather than large numbers of labor roles.