The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is poised to allow data centers to sidestep public scrutiny over their air pollution, a move that environmental advocates warn could let these tech giants hide in plain sight.

Scrapping a federal rule that requires public notification and comment on air permit applications, the EPA’s proposal could enable data center developers to proceed without local input, much to the dismay of communities often plagued by the noise and emissions from these facilities.

“The state and local authorities closest to the issues and the public should be making the decisions on the permitting process as much as possible, not Washington,” said EPA administrator Lee Zeldin, as he championed the changes.

Environmental and health groups warn that this move could deprive permitting agencies of crucial local insights, potentially allowing projects with significant impacts to proceed without proper public oversight.

The rule change, which applies to so-called 'minor' sources of pollution, has sparked concern among those who fear it could be used to permit large-scale industrial projects under the guise of small-scale ones.