TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Construction of an Amazon data center in eastern Oregon, United States, has sparked local backlash over its environmental and public health impacts.
The rapid expansion of data centers in the region has heightened concerns among residents about increased exposure to contaminants and potential disease risks.
According to a report by The Verge published on December 1, 2025, the primary issue involves the facility’s cooling system. The data center uses groundwater already contaminated by agricultural fertilizer runoff and waste from industrial-scale livestock operations.
When this polluted water is used to cool servers, much of it evaporates, leaving behind concentrated pollutants such as nitrates.
This evaporation intensifies eastern Oregon’s long-standing nitrate crisis. Nitrates are dangerous groundwater contaminants, particularly for pregnant women and infants, because they can reduce the blood’s ability to carry oxygen.
Local residents and environmental groups argue that the center’s cooling practices have significantly worsened contamination levels in nearby water sources.
Rising Health Concerns
Communities living around the facility report increasing health problems they attribute to the worsening water quality.
Several residents have cited cases of cancer, miscarriages, and other serious illnesses, prompting demands for accountability and clear information about the long-term impacts of data center operations.
The controversy illustrates how the rapid build-out of digital infrastructure can strain environmentally vulnerable regions. While data centers promise economic gains, residents say those benefits are overshadowed by escalating healthcare risks, pollution, and resource depletion.
In addition to groundwater issues, the facilities require large amounts of electricity and water, placing further pressure on local utilities. Amazon’s Oregon data center is currently the region’s largest water user, drawing heavily from an already stressed aquifer.
Amazon Responds
Environmental experts and activists are urging major technology companies to adopt more sustainable operational models to ensure that digital expansion does not compromise public health or local ecosystems.
Amazon, however, rejects the allegations. Company spokesperson Lisa Levandowski said the volume of water used at the site is too small to affect environmental quality and argued that groundwater depletion in the area pre-dated the company’s arrival.
The dispute has fueled calls for transparent, independent investigations into the health and environmental impacts linked to the facility. Advocates say such oversight is essential to ensure that technological development proceeds without endangering the well-being of surrounding communities.
