President Trump is giving data centers a pass to pollute, former EPA officials warn, sacrificing Americans’ health to build the infrastructure for artificial intelligence. Regulations on toxic chemicals and harmful pollutants are being weakened, allowing for the increasing use of dirty energy to power these centers. The health risks extend far beyond those living near the data centers, with up to 1,300 premature deaths and over $20 billion in public health costs predicted by 2028, according to a study. Lynn Goldman, a pediatrician and former EPA assistant administrator, urges the administration to adopt a ‘Data Center Health Protection Pledge’ to address these hazards.

However, the Trump administration’s ‘AI Action Plan’ recommends streamlining or reducing regulations under the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Superfund law to expedite permitting for data center projects and chip factories. This is seen as granting unprecedented emergency powers to exempt data centers and fossil fuel infrastructure from certain standards. The result is the potential for even more polluting AI buildouts, depending on the choices the government makes now. The EPA alumni argue that restoring clean air and water standards, and rebuilding the agency’s capacity to enforce them, could mitigate these losses.

The report identifies 30 federal actions since January 2025 that exacerbate health risks from data center pollution, including executive actions and proposals that curb renewable energy projects while softening pollution regulations. The impact of these policies extends far from the data centers, as the pollution from them can spread widely. The former EPA employees hope that the administration will measure the pollution changes, exposure, and health impacts of the buildout and make this information public.