Federal Environmental Justice Tracker

EJ Tracker Update

EPA Prioritized Data Center Construction

Last updated:

December 11, 2025

Authority

Executive Order, TSCA, CAA

Agencies

EPA

Actions

Guidance/ Policy, Public Resource

On Sept. 18, 2025, EPA Administrator, Lee Zeldin, announced that chemicals used in data center construction will take priority in safety reviews under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).  Zeldin explained that expediting these chemical safety reviews would advance President Trump’s Executive Order 14179, “Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence (AI),” and the expedited process would apply to all submissions received on or after Sept. 29, 2025.

Also pursuant to this Executive Order, on Dec. 11, 2025, EPA announced it had developed a Clean Air Act (CAA) resource webpage for data center developers, local communities and Tribes. The page “provide[d] a central location for those looking to learn more about CAA regulations, guidance, and technical tools that can assist with modeling, air quality permitting, and regulatory interpretations relevant for data centers and AI facilities.” It also created a “Data Centers Team” to consult on permitting and compliance questions.