Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) accused the Trump EPA of weakening environmental and public-health safeguards to fast-track a nationwide buildout of AI-related data centers, calling the expansion "unlimited, unregulated and undemocratic." He released a congressional report on Sept. 30, 2026, and urged Congress and the courts to block regulatory rollbacks. Critics including Gov. Gavin Newsom and Sen. Bernie Sanders have also denounced recent EPA changes, while the agency recently authorized an early switch to E10 gasoline to increase supply.
Ed Markey: Trump EPA’s Fast-Tracked AI Data-Center Buildout Is a 'Crash Course for Disaster'
Donald Trump speaks outdoors, wearing a dark suit and red tie, with people in caps behind him. (Credit: Image via Shutterstock)
Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.) sharply criticized the Trump administration and the Environmental Protection Agency on Sept. 30, 2026, arguing that efforts to accelerate construction of artificial-intelligence data centers are undercutting environmental and public-health safeguards.
Markey's Statement and Report
In a post on X and an accompanying video, Markey said the administration is "rolling out the red carpet for polluting data centers all to benefit Big Tech." He released a new congressional report he says documents systematic rollbacks of environmental protections intended to speed AI-related infrastructure projects.
"This unlimited, unregulated and undemocratic data center buildout is putting us on a crash course for disaster," Markey said in the video.
Targets and Concerns
Markey singled out EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, accusing the agency of prioritizing rapid infrastructure expansion over community health and environmental safeguards and saying the agency appears committed to "making America the AI capital of the world." He described data centers as "profit-generating machines for Big Tech, and pollution-generating machines for small-town America," and urged Congress and the courts to block regulatory rollbacks.
Broader Political Response
Other Democratic leaders have also criticized recent EPA actions. California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the repeal of emission limits for fossil-fuel power plants and announced plans to challenge the move in court. Senator Bernie Sanders called the repeal "more handouts for Big Oil" and warned against sacrificing long-term climate stability for short-term profits.
Recent EPA Action: E10 Gasoline Waiver
Separately, the EPA issued an emergency waiver allowing an early switch to winter-blend (E10) gasoline beginning Sept. 1, which the agency said would increase domestic supply by "hundreds of thousands of barrels per day" to help lower pump prices amid tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Administrator Zeldin said the measure was intended to boost supply and ease consumer costs.
Why This Matters
Markey and other critics argue that rapid data-center expansion, combined with regulatory rollbacks on power-plant emissions, could increase local pollution, strain regional power grids, and disproportionately harm smaller communities located near these facilities. Proponents of accelerating AI infrastructure counter that faster permitting and increased energy supply are critical to maintaining competitiveness in the global technology sector.
Markey is calling for congressional action to restore the EPA's core mission, strengthen environmental review processes for data-center projects, and pass laws to protect communities from pollution and other harms associated with unchecked buildouts.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock
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