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Echoes of the Past in Pennsylvania Coal Towns’ Fight Against Data Centers
The Hazle Township Supervisors faced a packed room. Hanging on the wall behind them, black lettering spelled out “We the People.” In front of them sat and stood about a hundred community members, some wearing yellow T-shirts that read “Project Hazelnot,” with a red circle and backslash for the “o.”
Their shirts were a message to the developers of Project Hazelnut, who want to build a massive data center complex on the township’s coal-rich plateau. The proposal includes plans for 15 data center buildings and an electrical substation across a nearly 1,300-acre site.
The project came up against what may be its final barrier that night on June 8 when the board voted on a zoning ordinance that would put a pause on data center applications in the town for 180 days. During this time, the board plans to update its zoning rules and add specific restrictions for data centers.
EPA Ditches Biden-Era Assessment on PFAS in Sludge
The Trump administration is ditching a Biden-era assessment on “forever chemicals” in sewage sludge fertilizer that was seen as a steppingstone toward federal regulation.
In its place, EPA on Wednesday released voluntary recommendations for sewage plant operators, states and the public to manage and reduce levels of the toxic chemicals in sludge.
“This draft guidance will provide Americans with commonsense recommendations that can protect public health, while also supporting wastewater systems and beneficial use of biosolids when appropriate,” Jess Kramer, EPA assistant administrator for water, said in a news release.
NC Budget Sets $22M Aside for New PFAS Study, but Moves to Keep Its Results Confidential
North Carolina lawmakers are proposing another study of “forever chemicals” in the new state budget. However, the project would sidestep a state regulatory agency in favor of an agency under legislative control, and critics say it’s a stalling tactic.
Released Tuesday, the budget allocates a total of $22 million to the North Carolina Collaboratory at UNC-Chapel Hill for research related to PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances known as “forever chemicals.” They don’t break down easily and have been linked to health risks like cancer.
The budget would also classify the staff of the Collaboratory as legislative employees, exempt from public records requests. Established by the General Assembly in 2016, the Collaboratory relies on direct funding from the legislature to operate.
EU-Approved Pesticide Found to Have Potential Effects on Brain Development
Researchers who re-ran a crucial fungicide study on neurotoxicity have come up with significantly different findings, and campaigners argue that the substance should now be withdrawn from the market.
In 2005, a study conducted by Huntingdon Life Sciences on behalf of ISK, the manufacturer of fluazinam, on the development of neurotoxicity of fluazinam in pregnant rats concluded there were no statistically significant effects in relation to brain development in the rats’ offspring.
In 2008, after a safety evaluation, the pesticide fluazinam was granted approval in the EU. Fluazinam is a Pfas fungicide that is used to control various soil-borne fungal pathogens in potatoes and apples. In 2024, 340 tonnes of it was sold in Germany alone.
The 2005 study, as the Guardian previously revealed, was not submitted as part of the evidence for the approval decision but was used in subsequent discussion.
