Earthjustice and a coalition of environmental organizations are challenging the approval of a new PFAS fluid, Chemours’ Opteon 2P50, that would be used in data centers.
LENNY SIEGEL; [email protected]
Siegel is the executive director of the Center for Public Environmental Oversight.
Siegel told the Institute for Public Accuracy: “Under the [Toxic Substances Control Act] program, U.S. EPA continues to approve new PFAS chemicals without adequate toxicological review. Earthjustice is filing comments this week challenging the expected approval of Chemours’ Opteon 2P50,” a fluid designed for immersion cooling in data centers which is considered a “forever chemical.”
He added: “There appears to be no public data on the quantity of PFAS used for cooling in data centers, and nothing on their emissions. There does not appear to be any regulatory oversight. As data center companies come under increasing pressure to reduce their water use, energy use, and footprints, chemical companies such as Chemours are promoting the use of PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ for ‘two-phase immersion’ cooling. The computers are immersed in large aquarium-style tanks to pass their heat from PFAS to coils containing chilled water. These chemicals are likely to enter the environment throughout their life cycle, which includes production, storage, transportation, operations, reclamation, and disposal. While some coolants are hazardous as potent persistent greenhouse gases, Chemours’ Opteon 2P50 breaks down in the atmosphere, spreading toxic chemicals such as ubiquitous, toxic trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) on the landscape and surface waters. In addition, data centers use large quantities of solid PFAS––fluoropolymers––in their cooling systems.”