AI firms want more data centers; Trump's EPA may give neighbors less say

The Trump administration's Environmental Protection Agency is considering a rule change that would reduce public participation in air pollution permitting. The proposal would give states control over whether the public gets notice and input on permits for certain facilities—including diesel generators and gas plants powering data centers. Ars Technica reports that communities nationwide have been using the permitting process to push back against data center development. At an EPA hearing this week, a Pennsylvania organizer with Moms Clean Air Force testified that residents deserve a say in what gets built in their neighborhoods. If adopted, the rollback could make it far harder for affected communities to voice concerns before new polluting infrastructure arrives.

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