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Working Session on Gateway 3: Water Rights & Environmental Permits
February 18 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Halt the Harm Network participants are invited to a special working session on using Water Rights & Environmental Permits to stop bad data centers.
Data centers generate massive heat and need millions of gallons of water annually for cooling. Training AI models can consume hundreds of thousands of liters of water, and even everyday AI queries add up. These facilities also need permits for air emissions (from backup diesel generators), stormwater management, and impacts on wetlands. Some federal and state environmental laws require review processes that developers can’t skip.
Read more about Water Rights & Environmental Permits
This gateway matters because developers want quick approvals with minimal conditions and limited public disclosure. Communities can file detailed scoping comments demanding thorough review, present expert testimony from hydrologists and scientists, challenge chemical risks from cooling systems, and organize environmental justice coalitions to document cumulative impacts. When EPA regional offices, state environmental agencies, and water authorities see organized community opposition backed by scientific evidence, they’re normally forced to take a harder look.
About these Working Sessions
These sessions are part of a network project addressing the harms of bad data centers.
The format is a facilitated Zoom call to share on-the-ground experience, tools, resources, and information. The outcome is a collection of refined tools and knowledge the whole network can use. As a participant you can access the shared document for notes and resources.