Rancher fights against Amazon data center claimed to be contaminating water and leading to miscarriages.

Concerns Raised by Oregon Ranchers Over Health Issues and Amazon Data Centers

Ranchers in Oregon have taken it upon themselves to investigate a perceived rise in health problems since the opening of Amazon data centers in their area.

Reports have surfaced suggesting that these facilities require significant water for cooling and contribute nitrate-heavy wastewater to a filtration system that is already under strain.

Jim Doherty from Morrow, Oregon, has looked into the health concerns potentially linked to toxins in the local water. He has been conducting tests, collaborating with local counties, and asking residents about their experiences. Speaking with Rolling Stone, he shared his findings.

In his assessment of 70 wells, Doherty was alarmed to discover that 68 did not meet federal nitrate standards for drinking water. Moreover, when he visited the first 30 homes, he learned that 25 of the residents had experienced a miscarriage recently.

In his discussions, he noted several health issues, including cancers, which he attributes to pollution from the Amazon data centers established around 2011. The facility, spanning between 120,000 and 200,000 square feet, has reportedly received around $200 million in tax breaks over a 15-year period.

These troubling health conditions have become a concern for many residents.

Doherty recounted a case he encountered: “A man in his 60s had his voice box removed due to a type of cancer that, oddly enough, is usually found in smokers—even though he’d never smoked a single cigarette in his life,” Doherty stated.

Another incident involved a letter from a woman whose husband was diagnosed with kidney cancer in his early 40s. She expressed that his doctor suspected herbicide and pesticide exposure. “He lost a kidney yet managed to survive,” she wrote.

“Initially, our water was fine,” she mentioned, “but after my husband got sick, we started seeing strange changes. It was really heartbreaking.”

Mr. Doherty’s spouse, Kelly, noted that of 14 neighbors on their road, “I think around nine of them currently have cancer.”

However, an Amazon spokesperson, Lisa Levandowski, responded to these claims, stating that the description of the situation in the 45,000-person county was “misleading and inaccurate.”

She argued, “This region has faced documented groundwater quality issues for years, well before AWS was established. Efforts from federal, state, and local agencies have been ongoing to tackle nitrate contamination from fertilizers, septic systems, and waste from food processing.”

Levandowski further clarified that their data center relies on the same water source as other local residents. “Nitrates are not something we add in any of our operations, and the volume of water we utilize is just a fraction of the overall water system,” she noted.

Oregon Rural Action, a group focusing on water conservation, drew parallels with the Flint, Michigan water crisis, emphasizing that this issue may be overlooked, particularly since it affects those with less political and economic influence.

The debate over whether Amazon has contributed to increased water toxins is intricate, with valid arguments coming from both sides that require further investigation. The Department of Energy specifies that while cooling processes aim to improve water quality, various additives—such as phosphates for corrosion prevention—may still be involved.