SUSTAINING THE FLOW

Thank you for subscribing to ARA's partner newsletter, featuring highlights from our 100+ partners and organizations around our network to help keep us collaborating, informed and engaged. Read through for comment opportunities, events, partner highlights, updates from the ARA team; along with funding, training, and hiring opportunities. See past editions of the newsletter here.

ONE OF OUR LATEST OBSESSIONS: DATA CENTERS

Are you as curious as we are about the environmental implications of AI? This summer, ARA is investigating the rapidly growing presence of data centers and their impact on our water resources. We are joining forces with residents of Bessemer in their efforts to get answers about the proposed 700-acre data center in their neighborhood. If completed, this data center will be among the largest in the nation and will be one of Alabama's top energy consumers.

Many people have integrated AI to improve their daily lives, but the environmental impact of this technology cannot be ignored. A lot of times consumers fail to realize that AI and the internet require intensive computational power for running, storing, and transmitting such large amounts of data. This computational requirement is supplied by servers located in data centers: large warehouse-like buildings containing servers, cooling systems, and back-up power sources. Academia, mainstream media, and government agencies focus on the high energy consumption of data centers due to its economic and environmental impacts.

Data center energy consumption represented 4.4% of the total energy use in the United States in 2023, and electricity needs for data centers are projected to skyrocket in the coming years. However, a large aspect of data centers’ environmental impact has received significantly less attention than energy use: water consumption. Data centers use water onsite to cool servers that convert energy into heat. In 2023, data center water consumption exceeded 17 billion gallons. By 2028, data center annual water consumption could reach well over 32 billion gallons. While bigger companies such as Google, Meta, and Amazon are publicly announcing their plans to use water more sustainably, information about the water impacts to individual communities remains elusive. These issues, and more, will be explored this summer in one of our Southern Exposure Films. To learn more about the potential impact of data centers, or if you are concerned about a data center in your community, please contact us!

SAVE THE DATE: Water is Life returns with a special Zoom Talk about data centers on July 15! Click here to register now and stay tuned for more info coming soon.

FEDERAL AND REGULATORY NEWS / COMMENT OPPORTUNITIES

TVA'S PUMPED STORAGE PROJECT ON SAND MOUNTAIN AND LAKE GUNTERSVILLE 

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is moving forward with a major proposal that includes the development of a new pumped storage hydro (PSH) facility. As part of its National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review, TVA is seeking public input on the project, which is outlined in its Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). TVA’s “preferred alternative” in the DEIS is the Pisgah/Rorex Creek location on Sand Mountain. View the statement here. Comments are due before July 14. ARA will be preparing comments.

ADEM RELEASES PROPOSED TMDLs FOR ADDITIONAL WATERWAYS

The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) has announced proposed Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for nine impaired waterways in the Black Warrior, Chattahoochee, Mobile, and Tallapoosa watersheds under Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act. Each TMDL establishes the maximum amount of a pollutant allowed to enter a waterway with the goal to achieve water quality standards. Comments are due July 18, 2025, public notice and details on how to comment available here.

PARTNER HIGHLIGHTS FROM ACROSS ALABAMA

Amplifying the voices of river defenders in Alabama by celebrating news, wins of all sizes, milestones and ways others could use support. Submit your news so we can share!

• VICTORY! Seven environmental groups filed a petition for rulemaking to Alabama's Environmental Management Commission to update and publish amended toxicity values for twelve priority toxic or cancer-linked pollutants in Alabama waterways. Read more about this success at Inside Climate News.
• The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the EPA acted unlawfully in declining to update water pollution control standards for seven major industries, including petroleum refineries, inorganic and organic chemical manufacturers; and factories that manufacture plastics, fertilizer, pesticides and nonferrous metals. Black Warrior Riverkeeper was a part of this lawsuit. Read more here.
• Thanks to Mobile Baykeeper, more than 20,000 people have demanded an end to mud dumping in Mobile Bay. Write your federal elected officials and tell them to stop the mud dumping in Mobile Bay. 
• The City of Irondale contributed $50,000 to the Cahaba River Society for their continued partnership and commitment to protecting the Cahaba River. See their announcement on their Facebook here.
• Partnerships on fire! Earlier this week, staff from the Alabama Field Office teamed up with The Nature Conservancy and the Longleaf Alliance to conduct a prescribed fire at the Mobile Botanical Gardens. This longleaf pine forest is one of the few of its kind located within city limits and has been recognized as a Treasure Forest by the Alabama Forestry Commission. On-site are federally listed gopher tortoises and a beautiful array of native plant species.
• Coosa Riverkeeper files Notice of Intent to sue Alabama Power to stop ongoing groundwater pollution from Alabama Power’s failed closure of its leaking toxic coal ash lagoon at the former Gadsden Steam Plant. Read more here.
• Cahaba Riverkeeper's second season of their Environmental Leadership Program is in full swing! This super cool, unique 10-week program is for high school students in the Cahaba watershed and for many students, it is their first exposure to environmental careers and local nonprofits of Alabama, giving them tangible places to be civically engaged and learn from experienced environmental professionals. 
• Check out the Southern Environmental Law Center's news describing their lawsuit against the current administration seeking to restore federal funding programs, including the Community Change program, Thriving Community Grantmaking Program, and more. Read it here and reach out about this class action if your organization has been impacted by termination of federal grants.
• ICYMI! ARA, along with our partners at Environmental Policy Innovation Center (EPIC), published a new resource for homeowners: Alabama Decentralized Wastewater Ownership Options. This guide gives an overview of Alabama's wastewater management options and how communities can work together to manage these systems collectively. Read more about this collaborative work here.

Please reply to this email or click below to submit newsletter items from your organization. We'd love to share your news with our 100+ partners across the region!

FUNDING | LEARNING | EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

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