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REVEALED: NJ Data Center Emitted Staggering Amounts of Air Pollution for Nearly a Year Before Regulators Intervened
DataOne, the Microsoft-linked New Jersey datacenter recently hit with a $1 million fine for running unpermitted generators, emitted large amounts of health-harming air pollution for nearly a year before state regulators stepped in, according to public records obtained by Floodlight.
The Vineland facility’s 62 gas-fired generators became public in August after a Floodlight/Guardian visual investigation found them operating without permits. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection last week fined the company over the fleet but didn’t disclose how long the generators had been operating nor how much air pollution they had released into the surrounding community over the past year.
Floodlight sent technical data about the generators — obtained through public records requests — to two experts to calculate the site’s emissions. “Our best estimate is that the generators emitted about 140 tons of NOx,” said Xiaomeng Jin, an assistant professor at Rutgers Department of Environmental Sciences. Her analysis would rank DataOne in the state’s top five NOx polluters of 2025, per EPA data.
Hawaiʻi Could Get $45M in Settlement With Monsanto for Alleged Environmental Contamination
The state could receive up to $45 million in a new settlement with the Monsanto Company and its affiliates for making and selling polychlorinated biphenyls, chemicals that have leaked into and contaminated Hawaiʻi’s natural resources. The state Attorney General’s office recently announced the settlement, following various claims against the company, which manufactured and sold PCBs for decades.
“Monsanto manufactured and sold PCBs for decades and the negative environmental consequences of these chemicals continue long after their production ended,” said Attorney General Anne Lopez in a statement. “This settlement holds Monsanto accountable for PCB contamination in Hawaiʻi and secures significant resources for our state. We will continue to use every tool available to protect Hawaiʻi’s environment and natural resources for future generations.”
PFAS May Raise Blood Pressure During Pregnancy. Who Is at Risk?
Say no to sushi and steer clear of raw sprouts. Skip Bikram yoga. And keep your hands off that cat litter box. Pregnancy comes with a list of dangers to avoid. Foodborne illnesses, overheating and parasites rank high. However, some everyday products come with hazards that are hard to spot, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly known as forever chemicals.
They have been a go-to for keeping things dry and gunk-free, such as waterproof clothing and pans. But they contain chains of carbon atoms linked to fluorine — a bond that’s especially difficult to break. If these chemicals remain in the body for a long time, they could pose a host of serious health risks.
A new study by Julia Varshavsky, assistant professor at the Northeastern University Bouvé College of Health Sciences, and colleagues found that women exposed to forever chemicals were twice as likely to have high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, later in pregnancy. And the tendency to develop the medical condition was strongest in first-time mothers and those carrying girls.
Communities Worry for Their Health After Trump Weakens Pollution Limits: ‘It’s a Kick in the Gut’
Harvest Public Media reported:
Biden-era changes to the Clean Air Act would have tightened regulations for industrial sites, but the Trump administration has given exemptions to hundreds of facilities. People living near the sites are concerned about air quality and their well-being.
At Patricia Schuba’s house, the windows are almost always shut. She lives a few miles from one of the top-polluting power plants in the country, in Labadie, Missouri.
“You can actually see the pollution,” said Schuba, president of a community group called Labadie Environmental Organization that has pushed for tighter pollution controls on the Labadie Energy Center for more than 15 years. “It’s like soot coming out of the power plant … There’s times you can even smell it in the air.”
Pesticide Pollution Persists as Officials Develop Stricter Regulations
On most evenings, Maricela Morales runs with her 18-year-old son in West Long Beach, a neighborhood that is less than a half-mile from two fumigation facilities that regularly spew a toxic pesticide called methyl bromide into the air. Air regulators have known for years about the potential hazards posed by the facilities that fumigate produce imported to or exported from the U.S. through nearby ports. But to Morales, 41, who had just finished a run in early August, their existence was news.
“I knew air quality was bad, but I thought it was because of the refineries,” she said, adding that she was concerned about how the emissions might impact her 5-year-old son, who attends St. Lucy Catholic School across the street from their home.
Across Los Angeles County, 13 fumigation facilities have for years been spraying imported fruits and vegetables with methyl bromide, a colorless, odorless gas. Chronic exposure can cause long-term health problems, such as nasal cavity lesions and harm to the nervous system, and poses threats to the eyes, kidneys and liver, with children especially vulnerable to the risks.
Pennsylvania Senate Passes Bill to Phase out PFAS-Containing Firefighting Foam
A bill that would phase out firefighting foam containing PFAS, commonly known as “forever chemicals,” is moving forward in Pennsylvania after overwhelmingly passing the state Senate.
Senate Bill 980 passed the Senate 48-1 on Oct. 5. The bipartisan legislation is sponsored by state Sen. Gene Yaw, R-23, and state Sen. Nick Miller, D-14, whose district includes portions of Lehigh and Northampton counties.
The legislation would restrict the manufacture, sale, distribution, and use of firefighting foam containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. The bill would begin phasing in those restrictions in 2027. The measure now heads to the Pennsylvania House.
