Page wants public health at the center of conversations about data centers in St. Louis County
St. Louis Public Radio |
By
Rachel Lippmann
Published August 25, 2026 at 4:49 PM CDT
Brian Munoz
/
St. Louis Public Radio
St. Louis County Executive Sam Page wants the Department of Public Health involved in the conversation about data center regulations
“Our goal is to establish clear rules on the development of data centers before we have a proposal in front of us for approval,” Page said Tuesday at a news conference on the issue. “But zoning is only part of our responsibility. We’re also responsible to protect the health and the welfare of St. Louis County residents.”
The Planning Commission earlier this month released a draft of rules governing where data centers can be built in unincorporated parts of the county. The rules would not apply to cities, which can draft their own regulations. The commission has been working on the rules since April
But the zoning code cannot govern potential negative impacts like heat or noise. That is why the Department of Public Health should get a chance to evaluate proposed centers before they are built, said Dr. Kanika Cunningham, the department’s director
“We need meaningful public health review, reliable baseline data, clear water and energy assessments, appropriate noise monitoring and open and transparent reporting.”
A working group that helped draft the proposed rules talked to members of the Department of Public Health. Notes from those meetings indicate its members understood the department’s role in monitoring air and water quality
The county is accepting emailed input on the zoning regulations at datacentercomments@stlouiscountymo.gov until Aug. 31. The comments will be presented to the Planning Commission in October
Any zoning regulations would also need approval of the St. Louis County Council, which has its own public comment process
