IDEM holds public meeting concerning air permit request from Michigan City data center
MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. -- The Indiana Department of Environmental Management is hosting a public meeting Tuesday night concerning the Project Maize data center.
It's being built right now after receiving tax abatements from the city council in September, but the latest development comes after the company behind the project filed an air permit application to IDEM last month.
The company behind that application is titled in documents as Lavendar Fields Holdings LLC, which is a suspected shell corporation for a big tech company.
The application includes a request to install 70 diesel-fired emergency generators; 66 large ones and 4 smaller ones with no pollution, exhausted outdoors through stacks.
IDEM's Office of Air Quality issues this specific type of permit to regulate and monitor operations which release air pollutants.
At the request of many concerned citizens, IDEM planned the public meeting to take public comment while reviewing the permit application.
Ashley Williams, a Michigan City resident near the proposed site and a leader in environmental advocacy, is seeking transparency about the project on top of a mounting list of environmental and health concerns.
"Why is a 2025 build, a 2025 data center using dirty diesel backup generators? It is unheard of and deplorable. We don't even know the type of engines that they will be potentially polluting us and poisoning us with. In the very least we deserve to know that," says Ashley Williams, Executive Director of Just Transition Northwest Indiana. " I hope that folks are really going to come in and be critical and ask questions and say "No, that doesn't add up. And I'm going to keep investigating, I'm going to keep showing up."
Phoenix Construction issued the following statement to ABC57 following IDEM's public meeting:
As construction progresses at the Project Maize site, the Phoenix Construction team is reaffirming its commitment to environmental protection and full regulatory compliance. We understand that large infrastructure projects can raise important questions, and we take those questions seriously.
Project Maize is being developed under the oversight of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) and in compliance with all applicable standards enforced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). All air-quality permits are undergoing the required public review process, and we welcome community participation in that process.
The facility’s emergency backup generators, a standard feature in modern data centers, are designed to operate safely and only under limited, tightly controlled conditions. These generators are intended for emergency backup power and brief, scheduled testing. They are not designed for continuous operation, and their use is strictly regulated to meet state and federal air-quality standards.
For example, the site air permit will limit each generator's runtime; the actual runtime is expected to be 31 hours or less annually. This time is allocated as follows: 24 hours per generator for emergency operation at full load, six hours of 25% load for monthly maintenance (30 minutes per month for each generator), and one hour per generator for annual maintenance at full load. However, each generator at the data center is not likely to reach a full 31 hours per year. In fact, typical run time per generator is expected to be only about seven hours annually: six hours for monthly maintenance at 25% load (30 minutes per month per generator), and one hour per generator for annual maintenance at full load. This is required by EPA regulations to ensure the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance is met.
Not only is the run time of the generators limited, but the environmental impact is also regulated. The generators will release CO2 emissions, yes, but the typical annual generator's CO2 emissions per building will be equivalent to two semi-trucks taking a daily round trip between Michigan City and Gary, or less than a daily round trip for a semi-truck between Michigan City and Chicago. It’s likewise comparable to 70 pizza delivery drivers traveling 50 miles per day or 17 Uber drivers traveling 200 miles per day. In comparison, the generators will have no more of an impact than ordinary traffic.
At the end of the day, we are committed to maintaining open communication with local residents and the community. Project Maize is a major investment in Michigan City’s future. Together, we will ensure that the future is built safely.
IDEM says they will issue a Notice of Decision stating whether the permit has been issued or denied at some point following the 30-day public comment period that ends on December 15, 2025.
It's unclear how long it will take for IDEM to make that decision.
IDEM will accept written comments through mail or e-mail through the end of the public comment period. All comments should be sent to:
Alexandrea Neuzerling
IDEM, Office of Air Quality
Indiana Government Center North
100 North Senate Avenue, Room 13W
Indianapolis, Indiana
E-mails can be sent to [email protected]. IDEM asks that you include your full U.S. mailing address so that you can be added to IDEM's mailing list for notices of future action on this permit.