URGENT: Oppose Ohio EPA Draft Permit OHD000001 Before Jan 16 Deadline

I am writing to demand your immediate attention and action regarding a critical environmental threat to Ohio’s water resources. The public comment period for the Ohio EPA's Draft General Permit OHD000001 closes on January 16, 2026. With this deadline only days away, the window to prevent data center facilities from discharging wastewater and stormwater into our state’s waterways is rapidly closing. We cannot afford delay. This draft permit represents an imminent risk to our ecosystem. If authorized, it will grant data centers a blanket license to discharge non-contact cooling waters, boiler blowdown, and stormwater runoff directly into our rivers and streams. While the permit sets basic limits for pH, Total Dissolved Solids, and Residual Chlorine, these measures are woefully insufficient safeguards against the massive volumes of water involved. We are on the precipice of allowing private corporations to treat Ohio's lakes and rivers as industrial cooling systems, and once this general permit is approved, the opportunity for rigorous oversight will be lost. The urgency of this situation cannot be overstated. By opting for a "general permit" rather than requiring individual NPDES permits, the EPA is bypassing the necessary assessment of specific facility impacts on sensitive or already-impaired watersheds. A one-size-fits-all approach is dangerous and irreversible. I urge you to act immediately. Please submit public comments to the Ohio EPA opposing Draft General Permit OHD000001 before the January 16, 2026, cutoff. We need you to advocate for individual permits that ensure specific oversight for each facility. Time is running out to protect the water that all Ohio residents rely on for drinking, recreation, and health. Please make this a top priority before the deadline passes.