Public health expert finds backup generators for data center campus in Archbald could have negative health impacts for residents

Public health expert finds backup generators for data center campus in Archbald could have negative health impacts for residents

WVIA |
By
Kat Bolus | WVIA News
Published July 8, 2026 at 5:00 AM EDT

A public health expert testified Monday that the 588 backup diesel generators planned for one data center campus proposed in Archbald could cause between $3 and $124 million in health damages annually

Catch up the Wildcat Ridge Data Center Campus proceedings:Jan. 28:Archbald Council hears from data center developer eyeing 500-acre site, possible mine water useMarch 10: Shoutouts and studies: Archbald data center campus hearing continues, residents respond with rageApril 13: Developer’s pamphlets, traffic forecasts dominate Wildcat Ridge data center hearing in ArchbaldMay 14: How loud is a data center? Archbald residents turn up criticism of Wildcat Ridge studyJune 15: Another night of questions as data center developer rests its case in Archbald zoning process

“In my professional opinion, the proposed Wildcat Ridge Data Center raises material public health, safety, and welfare concerns because of the exceptionally large scale of its proposed diesel backup generation system, and because key aspects of that system remain undefined in the current record,” said Michael Cork, Ph.D

Cork, a post-doctoral research fellow at Harvard University and CEO of Empower Analytics Group, was hired by the Stop Archbald Data Centers group to research the health impacts of the generators

Brooklyn-based Cornell Realty Management Group plans to construct a 15-building data center campus off Business Route 6 and Route 247 on 500 acres in Archbald. Cornell is one of six developers proposing data center campuses for the borough in Lackawanna County

Archbald’s zoning ordinance requires the developer to present its case to borough council, which will ultimately deny or accept their request for zoning. Monday was the sixth hearing in Wildcat’s conditional use process since January. Another is scheduled for Monday, July 13

Diesel exhaust health concerns

Cork said diesel exhaust is a “well-established public health concern.” He said that’s because diesel combustion emits a variety of pollutants, including fine particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide

“I think the science of linking air pollution or diesel exhaust to health is not new,” he said. “What is new is understanding the scale of these facilities and how much backup power they need.”

His analysis used the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s CO-Benefits Risk Assessment Health Impacts Screening and Mapping Tool (COBRA) to study how pollutants from the fumes from Wildcat’s proposed generators can lead to death, nonfatal health attacks, hospital admissions and emergency room visits, issues with asthma and lung cancer

Those scenarios look at whether the generators are run at 70% for 16 hours per year, 40 hours and 100 hours

Megan Haines, the attorney for the developer, pointed out that all the generators will not be run at once, except during an emergency situation

Cork’s analysis reviewed a variety of generators, including some with emission controls

The environmental health scientist and biostatistician said the developer has not yet said what kind of generators will be used or what emission controls will be placed on the generators

“What I have is the total number of generators that have been proposed, the generator capacity, and then I’ve run a variety of plausible scenarios for how these generators might be run and how that might impact the population health,” he said

Haines is from Reed Smith LLC in Pittsburgh

“You understand that a conditional use hearing is not a final development plan. You pointed out repeatedly there aren’t permits yet, so you understand that this is a proof of concept development, not a final plan, correct?” she asked Cork

Kat Bolus
/
WVIA News

Regulatory vs. health concerns

Megan Haines asked Cork who hired him

Before he could answer, someone from the crowd of hundreds yelled, “all of us.”

Haines continued with a line of questioning that seemed to establish Cork as anti-data center

“I do not take an official stand on the projects. I focus on presenting the science,” he said

She asked if he ever prepared a report in favor of a project

“Again, I don’t do reports in favor of or in opposition to projects. I try to just present the evidence,” he said

Haines asked about the previous organizations Cork has worked for

Cork said he has “conducted around a half dozen reports in Virginia, West Virginia and Mississippi, looking at understanding how proposals for data centers or natural gas infrastructure would translate into population health impacts.”

She asked how much he was paid for the research

Cork said he performed around 140 to 180 hours of work and was paid $10,000

A resident yelled out, “worth every penny.”

Haines repeatedly asked Cork about whether or not the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) would give the developer an air-quality permit

He said his report does not look at the permitting required for the project

“Something that’s come up already a couple of times is the difference between a regulatory question versus a health question. My expertise is on understanding the health impacts,” he said. “What the science is pretty clear on is there’s no threshold below which there’s no health effects. So, what that means is that any increase in fine particulate matter increases health risks, even if below regulatory standard.”

‘Cumulative health perspective’

With six campuses proposed for the borough, residents are frustrated that the projects are often looked at individually, instead of cumulatively. It’s an issue they raised with Governor Josh Shapiro when he made an impromptu visit to the region

“When you’re evaluating these data centers, it’s really important to think of it as a cumulative health perspective, and to factor in all of the different types of projects that are being proposed,” Cork said

The crowd of hundreds applauded

WHAT’S NEXT: The seventh hearing is scheduled for Monday, July 13, at 5 p.m. at the Valley View High School Auditorium. Borough council will call on a noise expert to testify