The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has withdrawn a proposal that would have streamlined wastewater discharge permitting for data centers following widespread public opposition.

The agency said it received a significant volume of comments opposing the proposed statewide approach for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits and has decided to continue evaluating data center discharge permits on a case-by-case basis.

The proposal drew criticism from environmental organizations and elected officials who raised concerns about allowing facilities with varying cooling systems and wastewater characteristics to operate under a standardized permitting framework.

According to the Alliance for the Great Lakes, most data centers in Ohio currently discharge wastewater to municipal wastewater treatment plants rather than directly to surface waters. The organization said only one facility in the state currently holds an NPDES permit authorizing direct discharge to freshwater.

The decision means future data center projects seeking direct wastewater discharges will continue to undergo individual permit reviews based on site-specific conditions and discharge characteristics.