During a U.S. House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing on Thursday, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) confronted a Trump Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) official regarding the environmental impact of a Meta data center in Georgia. The congresswoman presented two jars containing brown water from a rural community, drawing parallels to the famous environmental activist Erin Brockovich.
Ocasio-Cortez questioned Jessica Kramer, the EPA's assistant administrator for water, displaying the contaminated water samples. "I have a jar right here, this is the current drinking water in Morgan County, Georgia," Ocasio-Cortez stated. "Right after a data center was constructed, the Meta data center was constructed; the only difference between the clean water and this was that data center."
The congresswoman had visited Morgan County two weeks prior, according to a press release from her office. The release noted that "Ten percent of the water used each day by the community goes to this Meta data center. The community is on track for a total water deficit by 2030." Ocasio-Cortez emphasized that the issue "wasn't just one well" or "one family's situation."
"This is what the drinking water now looks like, next to that data center," said the congresswoman. "And I think both of us can agree that neither one of these things are drinkable. These families now have to ship — in a rural area — have to ship water to their house in order to cook and bathe themselves."
Ocasio-Cortez pressed Kramer on whether the EPA would investigate how data centers affect local water supplies. "So as soon as I get back to the office, I will be looking into exactly what you just talked about," Kramer replied. "Because anywhere, whatever type of construction it is, it is a priority to ensure that water quality standards, established by EPA, are being met."
The Trump administration has often granted regulatory deference to tech companies building data centers across the country, despite local opposition. Last summer, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to accelerate federal permitting for data centers. Earlier this month, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin proposed a rule allowing data centers to begin "pre-construction" activities before receiving final environmental approval, claiming those activities have "no impact to human health or the environment."
In March, Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) introduced legislation to pause the construction of data centers used for artificial intelligence until laws are in place to curb harmful environmental effects. Additionally, the real Erin Brockovich has been actively involved, publishing and maintaining a map of major AI data centers in the U.S. that are either operational or under construction.
Ocasio-Cortez shared video from the hearing on social media, stating: "This is what drinking water in Georgia looks like after Meta began data center construction in the community. Today I called for EPA and Congressional investigations into the impact of data center construction on local drinking water supplies. We cannot take water for granted."
