New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance and Sustain South Jersey Respond to DEP Fine Against DataOne AI Data Center
Vineland – On September, 22 the New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance and Sustain South Jersey acknowledged the Department of Environmental Protection’s announcement that the Agency has fined DataOne slightly over $1 million for operating 62 large natural-gas power generators without required state permits at its proposed Vineland facility. DEP investigation has found that the developer violated the Air Pollution Control Act by running these emissions-heavy machines at the 2.4 million-square-foot proposed data center. In doing so, DataOne has exposed the community to harmful pollutants such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and others throughout the period of their use. While we view this enforcement action as a step forward, we maintain that monetary penalties alone do not address the core issue: communities bearing the health burden of unchecked industrial development.
“DataOne being fined for their unpermitted generator use is unsurprising and long overdue. All year the experience of our community living near this project has been a nightmare. While the fine may be record-setting, what happens to the families that have been affected by this? They are the ones whose health is risked for this blatant disregard of process.”
- Matt Williams, Chair of the Board, Sustain South Jersey.
“While it is newsworthy that the state has taken punitive action against Data One, it doesn’t address the totality of costs to the health and property value of Vineland residents. NJ cannot become a “pay to play” state for environmentally and economically disastrous industries.”
- Melissa Miles, Executive Director, New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance.
NJEJA and Sustain South Jersey continue to organize and advocate with Vineland residents and local community groups toward the goal that construction should be halted altogether, putting communities’ health and environmental justice concerns over Big Tech and unchecked development.
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