Lackawanna County Data Center Impacts

Proposed data centers and power infrastructure in Lackawanna County have prompted questions about their combined effects on air quality and public health.

The county’s independent assessment is intended to examine emissions, how pollution may disperse, which populations could be exposed, and the region-wide health burden—issues that project-by-project reviews may not capture. The proposed Wildcat Ridge campus illustrates the stakes: an analysis of its diesel backup generators estimated substantial health damages, while the project disputed that analysis, citing state and federal emissions limits. Local review also considers possible measures such as generator choices, operating limits, and facility placement.