EPA Accelerates Chemical Approvals for Data Centers Amid Health Risk Concerns

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is accelerating chemical approval processes to support the growing demand for data centers powering artificial intelligence, a move criticized by environmental groups for potentially compromising safety, especially concerning harmful substances like PFAS. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has promoted deregulatory efforts to reduce burdens on industry, aiming to expedite approvals but raising concerns about environmental and health risks. Meanwhile, agricultural sectors are pushing for faster approvals of new crop treatments without waiting for legislative changes, advocating smarter resource use and reliance on international data to cut backlogs. However, the EPA's regulatory efforts are currently hampered by a federal government shutdown, which has halted most routine operations and slowed progress on chemical risk evaluations and pesticide reviews, affecting predictability for companies dependent on these regulatory timelines. This combination of deregulatory initiatives and operational slowdowns highlights tensions between economic acceleration, regulatory oversight, and safety in chemical and environmental governance.