JEFFERSONVILLE, Ohio — New details have emerged regarding the environmental review for the CMH205 Data Center Development Project in Fayette County, revealing the project's cumulative impact on local wetlands is now being assessed by regulators.
A recent letter from the environmental consultants Kimley-Horn, submitted to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) on behalf of Amazon Data Services, addresses technical questions about the project’s Section 401 Water Quality Certification (WQC) application. The documentation confirms that the massive data center—which plans to construct 15 data processing buildings and a large-scale substation on 348 acres—is being treated as a single, cumulative project, despite its phased construction.
The Cumulative Impact on Wetlands
The key environmental issue outlined in the response is the total, or cumulative, loss of wetlands from the two-phase project:
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Phase 1A Impacts: This phase, which is already constructed, previously received authorization for 0.46 acres of impact to Wetlands 3 and 4 under a streamlined Nationwide Permit 39 (NWP 39).
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Phase 1B Impacts: This proposed phase is seeking authorization to impact an additional 0.64 acres of Wetland 4.
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Total Cumulative Impact: When combined, the CMH205 Project is now requesting authorization for a total of 1.10 acres of permanent fill into Category 1 non-forested wetlands.
The combined impact exceeded the limits for the earlier, simpler permit, requiring the developer to pursue a more rigorous Individual Section 401/404 permit. This elevated review level requires a comprehensive evaluation of alternatives and a detailed mitigation plan.
Regulatory and Technical Clarifications
The letter also provided crucial clarifications requested by the Ohio EPA:
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Project Size: The official, correct acreage for the development is 348 acres, clarifying a discrepancy in earlier documents.
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Mitigation Details: To compensate for the 1.10 acres of wetland loss, the applicant is required to purchase wetland mitigation credits from an approved bank, specifically the Red Stone Mitigation Bank. The letter confirms that proof of reservation for 1.0 acre of credits has been provided, and that the final payment is being processed.
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"No-Build" Alternative: The developer's analysis showed that a "No-build/No-Impact Alternative" (keeping only the smaller, initial Phase 1A) would limit the site's operational capacity by 93%, which would prevent them from meeting the "rapidly growing market demand" for AI-dedicated IT capacity. The preferred plan, according to the documents, minimizes impacts to the highest-quality wetlands while still providing 767 Megawatts (MW) of capacity.
The review highlights the tension between Ohio’s aggressive push for technological infrastructure, driven by high demand and proximity to power/utility access, and the necessity of adhering to state and federal environmental laws meant to protect vital aquatic resources. The Section 401 WQC process serves as the critical step to ensure that the project’s water quality impacts—and the plan to offset them—comply with state standards before construction of the second phase can fully commence.
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