The Truth about the Panther Creek Power Data Center!

Keel Infrastructure has received significant positive press for all the good work they are doing in Panther Valley - from donating to local gyms and public parks to hiring 2 veterans who are also brothers, Keel is the local media darling of the moment. Recently, the TimesNews posted a notice of a public hearing at the Panther Valley High School on Thursday, August 20th, at 5pm regarding the Carbon Node East (operated by Keel Infrastructure) application for a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit to discharge 18,662 gallons of toxic wastewater each day! For comparison, 18,662 gallons per day is the same consumption rate as 86 equivalent dwelling units (houses). This permit application underscores the bait-and-switch by Keel Infrastructure, which promised (in multiple public meetings) to build a "closed-loop" data center that wouldn't consume water and now needs a NPDES permit to discharge the same amount as 86 households (without providing the same value as desperately needed housing). It's worth noting that discharging 18,662 gallons per day means a minimum of 18,662 gallons of water are consumed each day! Likely more water will be extracted, as water evaporates and is otherwise consumed in data center operations. This activity will have an impact on Broad Run (Exceptional Value), Dennison Run (Exceptional Value), Nesquehoning Creek (Cold Water Fisheries) and Exceptional Value Wetlands. More information about the public hearing and what you can do is available from the PA Environment Digest Blog at https://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2026/07/dep-to-hold-meetinghearing-aug-20-on.html.

A recent University of Georgia Field Report (reference cited below) documented that "Data center cooling systems often use chemical additives to prevent corrosion, scaling, and the growth of algae and bacteria. Common additives may include anti-corrosion/scaling chemicals, biocides, chlorine compounds, glycols, and so forth. Additionally, some nonwater liquid coolants may contain refrigerants and PFAS (also known as “forever chemicals”), requiring special forms of treatment. Fluorinated gases (also known as F-gases, a type of PFAS) may also be used for air cooling. PFAS have negative health impacts and are difficult to remove. If leaks, spills, or improper wastewater disposal occur, contaminants may enter soil and groundwater systems."

The question then arises, is the Borough Wastewater Treatment plant prepared to handle these new toxins? Or will the toxic wastewater be released into Nesquehoning Creek, the Lehigh River, and the surrounding watershed? This is the warning that American Rivers published in 2023 when they named Pennsylvania’s Lehigh River among America’s Most Endangered Rivers, citing the threat that poorly planned development poses to river health. American Rivers and partners called on decision makers to improve protections for the river to safeguard clean water (reference cited below).

EPA guidance notes that cooling-system blowdown water can contain chemicals and may require permits or wastewater treatment before discharge (U.S. EPA, 2026b), hence the NPDES permit application and public hearing. For reference, blowdown water is the water that’s removed from a cooling system to prevent the buildup of minerals, scale, and so on.

After sorting through the articles and focusing on the data, making superficial or temporary improvements in the Panther Valley community to disguise the fundamental flaws in the data center insults our intelligence. No matter how you dress it up, the core problem remains the same - the Panther Creek Power Data Center will negatively impact our drinking water supply, Nesquehoning Creek, and the Lehigh River.

References:

The American Rivers article is available at https://www.americanrivers.org/media-item/lehigh-river-named-among-americas-most-endangered-rivers-of-2023/

The University of Georgia Field Report is available at https://fieldreport.caes.uga.edu/publications/TP121/how-data-centers-impact-surface-and-ground-waters/

Panther Creek Campus depicted on Keel Infrastructure website at https://www.keelinfra.com/campuses/panther-creek