Public Health Expert Finds Backup Generators for NEPA Data Center Campus Could Have Negative Health Impacts for Residents

A public health expert testified Monday that the 588 backup diesel generators planned for one data center campus proposed in Archbald, PA, could cause between $3 and $124 million in health damages annually.

“In my professional opinion, the proposed Wildcat Ridge Data Center raises material public health, safety, and welfare concerns because of the exceptionally large scale of its proposed diesel backup generation system, and because key aspects of that system remain undefined in the current record,” said Michael Cork, Ph.D.

Cork, a post-doctoral research fellow at Harvard University and CEO of Empower Analytics Group, was hired by the Stop Archbald Data Centers group to research the health impacts of the generators.

Brooklyn-based Cornell Realty Management Group plans to construct a 15-building data center campus off Business Route 6 and Route 247 on 500 acres in Archbald. Cornell is one of six developers proposing data center campuses for the borough in Lackawanna County.

Archbald’s zoning ordinance requires the developer to present its case to borough council, which will ultimately deny or accept their request for zoning. Monday was the sixth hearing in Wildcat’s conditional use process since January. Another is scheduled for Monday, July 13.

Diesel exhaust health concerns

Cork said diesel exhaust is a “well-established public health concern.” He said that’s because diesel combustion emits a variety of pollutants, including fine particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide.

“I think the science of linking air pollution or diesel exhaust to health is not new,” he said. “What is new is understanding the scale of these facilities and how much backup power they need.”

His analysis used the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s CO-Benefits Risk Assessment Health Impacts Screening and Mapping Tool (COBRA) to study how pollutants from the fumes from Wildcat’s proposed generators can lead to death, nonfatal health attacks, hospital admissions and emergency room visits, issues with asthma and lung cancer.

Those scenarios look at whether the generators are run at 70% for 16 hours per year, 40 hours and 100 hours.

Megan Haines, the attorney for the developer, pointed out that all the generators will not be run at once, except during an emergency situation.

Cork’s analysis reviewed a variety of generators, including some with emission controls.

The environmental health scientist and biostatistician said the developer has not yet said what kind of generators will be used or what emission controls will be placed on the generators.

“What I have is the total number of generators that have been proposed, the generator capacity, and then I’ve run a variety of plausible scenarios for how these generators might be run and how that might impact the population health,” he said.

Haines is from Reed Smith LLC in Pittsburgh.

“You understand that a conditional use hearing is not a final development plan. You pointed out repeatedly there aren’t permits yet, so you understand that this is a proof of concept development, not a final plan, correct?” she asked Cork.

Attorney Megan Haines questions Michael Cork, Ph.D, a public health expert, during a data center hearing in Archbald. (Kat Bolus/WVIA)

Regulatory vs. health concerns

Megan Haines asked Cork who hired him.

Before he could answer, someone from the crowd of hundreds yelled, “all of us.”

Haines continued with a line of questioning that seemed to establish Cork as anti-data center.

“I do not take an official stand on the projects. I focus on presenting the science,” he said.

She asked if he ever prepared a report in favor of a project.

“Again, I don’t do reports in favor of or in opposition to projects. I try to just present the evidence,” he said.

Haines asked about the previous organizations Cork has worked for.

Cork said he has “conducted around a half dozen reports in Virginia, West Virginia and Mississippi, looking at understanding how proposals for data centers or natural gas infrastructure would translate into population health impacts.”

She asked how much he was paid for the research.

Cork said he performed around 140 to 180 hours of work and was paid $10,000.

A resident yelled out, “worth every penny.”

Haines repeatedly asked Cork about whether or not the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) would give the developer an air-quality permit.

He said his report does not look at the permitting required for the project.

“Something that’s come up already a couple of times is the difference between a regulatory question versus a health question. My expertise is on understanding the health impacts,” he said. “What the science is pretty clear on is there’s no threshold below which there’s no health effects. So, what that means is that any increase in fine particulate matter increases health risks, even if below regulatory standard.”

‘Cumulative health perspective’

With six campuses proposed for the borough, residents are frustrated that the projects are often looked at individually, instead of cumulatively. It’s an issue they raised with Governor Josh Shapiro when he made an impromptu visit to the region.

“When you’re evaluating these data centers, it’s really important to think of it as a cumulative health perspective, and to factor in all of the different types of projects that are being proposed,” Cork said.

The crowd of hundreds applauded.

WHAT’S NEXT: The seventh hearing is scheduled for Monday, July 13, at 5 p.m. at the Valley View High School Auditorium. Borough council will call on a noise expert to testify.

Image: Hundreds of residents listen to testimony from a public health expert during a zoning hearing for a data center proposal in Archbald. (Kat Bolus/WVIA)

This story originally was published at
WVIA.org by Kat Bolus.