Virginia DEQ
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DEQ is conducting a special data center air monitoring project through a grant from EPA in response to the rapid growth of data centers in Northern Virginia and citizen concerns for emissions from back up generators and/or natural gas fired turbines at those data centers.
The goal of the special project is to determine if additional air monitoring is needed in areas containing high numbers of data centers. The project area will include Loudoun and Prince William Counties—two Virginia counties containing a high concentration of data centers.
The project will consist of several phases. In the first phase, DEQ will set up a series of seven air sensors
in Loudoun County’s "data center alley." The sensors, which are capable of transmitting near-real-time data, will be periodically moved to new locations within the project area in order to increase coverage and to ultimately determine if there are any areas showing elevated levels of emissions of carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and particulate matter less than 2.5 microns (PM2.5).
In phase two of the project, the seven sensors will be moved to locations in Prince William County’s high concentration of data centers. Again, the sensors will be periodically moved to new locations to to increase coverage and to determine if there are any areas showing elevated levels of emissions.
If results of phase one indicate one or more areas of elevated emissions in or around Loudoun County's "data center alley," DEQ will initiate a third phase wherein a mobile air monitoring station will be deployed to gather data. DEQ's air monitoring stations and the data they collect are used by DEQ to determine if Virginia is meeting National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Data from this third phase will help DEQ decide if additional permanent air monitoring stations are needed and if needed, where they should be located.
If results of phase two indicate one or more areas of elevated emissions in Prince William County, DEQ will initiate a fourth phase and deploy a mobile air monitoring station to gather additional data. As with the third phase, the mobile air monitoring data will help DEQ determine if additional permanent air monitoring stations are needed. This fourth phase, if warranted, will complete this special project.