Covington, GA — Local communities and environmental groups have alerted the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) about unpermitted construction at VoltaGrid’s pop-up power plant and Serverfarm’s adjacent data center in Covington, GA, where the companies have installed over 40 methane gas and diesel-fired engines before getting required environmental approvals.
After a neighbor drove by the site on June 19 and took photos showing that VoltaGrid had constructed at least six out of 33 methane gas-fired engines, Sustainable Newton, Altamaha Riverkeeper, and the Southern Environmental Law Center submitted a letter late last week urging EPD to investigate and take enforcement action against the companies.
Houston-based energy company VoltaGrid is seeking to develop a 90-megawatt power plant in Covington, Georgia, east of Atlanta, to provide dedicated baseload power to a neighboring Serverfarm data center. The proposed projects, which are located within three miles of residential neighborhoods, the county drinking water reservoir, and a nature preserve, have generated significant opposition from local communities.
Although VoltaGrid and Serverfarm have applied for air permits to authorize construction, EPD had not issued final permits as of early this week after soliciting public input. Public comments from community members and local groups raised serious concerns about whether the facilities would comply with federal or state air regulations.
The letter provides aerial photos taken on June 25 showing that VoltaGrid has now constructed at least eight methane gas-fired engines at its Covington facility and is undertaking ongoing construction of the 25 remaining engines proposed in its air permit application. The aerial images also reveal that Serverfarm has constructed at least 36 of the 37 diesel-fired emergency generators proposed in its application for the adjacent data center.
Under Georgia’s State Implementation Plan (SIP), companies must get a preconstruction permit for new sources of air pollution prior to starting construction. In the letter, the groups ask EPD to order VoltaGrid and Serverfarm to stop all illegal construction activities immediately and assess appropriate penalties for past and ongoing violations of Georgia law and the Clean Air Act.
There is no guarantee that EPD will issue air permits to companies that apply for them or, at minimum, that the permits will not require additional safeguards, which will be more difficult to implement in this case given the companies’ unpermitted construction. For example, EPD may limit the number or location of engines to reduce risks to the community from exposure to toxic and carcinogenic formaldehyde, an issue raised in the public comments.
“Covington and Newton County communities deserve transparency, accountability, and a voice in decisions that directly impact our health and our families,” said Maurice Carter, President of Sustainable Newton. “We urge EPD to take immediate action to address this unlawful attempt to sidestep the permitting process.”
“VoltaGrid and Serverfarm’s decision to move ahead before securing the necessary permits undermines both the law and the public participation process designed to protect local communities,” said SELC Senior Attorney Patrick Anderson. “EPD can and should exercise its authority so that companies cannot skirt regulatory review by treating the process like it’s arbitrary.”