As public opposition to AI data center development ratchets up in Pennsylvania, politicians are promising to protect local communities. Whether the state’s fractious politics can deliver is another question.
The state concluded there is “no current cause for concern.” Experts worried about the long-term impacts of fracking waste say more research is required.
Former government officials say the state isn’t doing enough to regulate fracking waste, even as new research shows it’s far more radioactive than previously known.
More than a decade after regulators promised to improve reporting standards for this waste, an Inside Climate News investigation found huge discrepancies in state records.
Advocates say more distance is needed to protect public health. Industry groups and Republican legislators say the rule change would effectively ban natural gas development.
The Pennsylvania site, shorthand for the dangers of nuclear power after a 1979 meltdown, is set for revival under a deal to power Microsoft data centers.
