AGP Executive Report

Data Center Backlash Spreads: A Nebraska county (Otoe) voted to pause permits for a new data center for up to a year, as residents press for answers on water, power, and heat impacts—part of a wider wave of local moratoriums and tighter rules nationwide. Mid-Atlantic Climate Hit: A new study finds sea level rise is swallowing Mid-Atlantic farmland faster than expected—about 25,000 acres lost to saltwater intrusion in the Chesapeake and Delaware Bay watersheds from 1984 to 2022, even where farmers tried to protect fields. Virginia Water Safety: The EPA announced $27.456M to help Virginia replace lead service lines, aiming to cut lead exposure risk for children. Central VA Power Line Fight: Communities in Central Virginia are ramping up resistance to the proposed Valley Link transmission line, arguing it threatens farms and forests for a project they say mainly serves distant demand.

Lead Pipes, Public Health: The EPA announced $27.456M for Virginia to find and replace lead service lines through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund—an effort aimed at cutting childhood lead exposure. Drought Pressure: North Carolina’s drought has worsened for five western counties, with “exceptional” and “extreme” conditions now widespread and water systems told to follow shortage plans. Chesapeake Bay Hope, With a Watch: A 2026 winter dredge survey estimates 349M blue crabs—up 46%—but adult females remain below average, so managers are urging continued vigilance. Wildlife Crime in Fauquier: A 22-year-old man was arrested after authorities say he captured a juvenile fox and tried to sell it, with additional charges pending. Ticks and Lyme: Virginia health officials are urging tick precautions as Lyme diagnoses rise. Data Center Backdrop: A Virginia cautionary note is growing around the NextEra–Dominion merger as ratepayers brace for affordability and grid-cost concerns.

Medicare Physician Pay Under Scrutiny: A House Health subcommittee hearing today will dig into Medicare physician payment instability under MACRA, with lawmakers citing how “doc fixes” haven’t stopped uncertainty that can ripple to patient access. Eastern Shore Resilience Rules Delayed: Accomack County tabled an environmental zoning ordinance tied to new state flood/sea-level requirements after concerns that land-disturbance study costs could hit small homeowners hard. VDOT Herbicide Fallout: VDOT is preparing a report after a herbicide-spraying incident damaged vegetation in northeastern Clarke County, including well-known wildflowers. Data Centers vs. Communities: Henrico posted a public notice for pedestrian-safety upgrades on Nine Mile Road, while elsewhere local governments keep tightening data-center rules amid growing scrutiny. RGGI Deadline Looms: Virginia is set to finalize regulations to rejoin the cap-and-trade program, with market price swings raising worries about power-bill impacts. Boating Safety Push: Virginia wildlife officials are warning Memorial Day weekend boaters about life-jacket rules and penalties as summer traffic ramps up.

Data-center PFAS alarm: A new report flags “forever chemicals” in groundwater and soil near AI data center expansion and herbicide manufacturing sites, prompting state and federal probes—another reminder that the environmental bill for the AI boom may show up in local water first. Local grid and land-use pressure: Appalachian Power is holding an open house in Forest (Bedford/Campbell) on planned transmission upgrades, while Preservation Virginia just named a Valley Link transmission route to its 2026 list of most endangered historic places amid landowner and health-value concerns. Storm-hit transportation funding: Virginia’s transportation board moved money to cover a $193M shortfall tied to expensive emergency storm response and bonuses. Community wins and fixes: Stafford County approved a Buc-ee’s after a long fight, and GRTC will keep fare-free service going through June 30, 2027. Health and science spotlight: Fauquier student Mia Heller won a Less Cancer prize for a filter that removes microplastics from water.

Stafford County Buc-ee’s Approval: After a marathon, often heated meeting that ran until nearly 1 a.m., the Stafford County Board of Supervisors approved a massive Buc-ee’s on I-95 (5–2), clearing the way for a 74,000-square-foot travel center near Exit 140—120 pumps, 800+ parking spaces, and new interchange road work—while opponents warned about congestion, noise, light, air impacts, and emergency response strain. Data Center Backlash in Virginia: Virginia regulators are tightening how hyperscale backup generator “emergency” use is treated, signaling stricter air-permitting expectations as communities scrutinize data-center growth. Drought Pressure Across the Commonwealth: With much of Virginia still in drought warning status and Smith Mountain Lake down sharply, utilities are already adjusting dam operations as low water limits generation. Wildlife & Health Watch: Virginia DWR reports 126 chronic wasting disease positives from 7,800+ deer tested statewide. Outdoor Conservation Milestone: Virginia State Parks marks its 90th anniversary with a statewide history-and-culture weekend in June.

Data Center Backlash Meets Real-World Strain: A new IDCA report says global data-center power draw hit 67.7 GW (+36% in two years), with the U.S. at 29.2 GW—while “zombie” cloud workloads may be wasting about 13% of hyperscaler capacity, fueling calls for tighter oversight. PFAS Alarm: Separate reporting flags PFAS “forever chemicals” tied to AI data-center expansion and herbicide manufacturing, with state and federal probes mentioned. Virginia Air Fight: Attorney General Jay Jones joined a coalition pushing back on EPA’s plan to gut national ethylene oxide pollution limits—calling EtO a known human carcinogen. Heat + Freeze Stress Test: The DC region sweltered into Memorial Day weekend with record temps and pop-up storms, while a late-April hard freeze still left growers reeling across the Mid-Atlantic. Local Life, Local Policy: Spanberger vetoed a bill to legalize retail recreational cannabis, citing enforcement and compliance needs.

PFAS Watch: NASA updated the public on “forever chemicals” at Wallops Flight Facility, tracing earlier detections to decades-old firefighting foam and saying current levels meet drinking-water standards—while monitoring continues and shellfish growers still worry about long-term impacts. Drought Deepens: The Eastern Shore is now in severe drought (D2), with most areas getting under half of normal rainfall in the past 30 days and summer conditions expected to worsen. Cybersecurity Alarm: The FCC warned broadcasters that cyber attacks are now a national-security and emergency-communications risk, not just an IT problem. Utility Merger Pressure: NextEra and Dominion announced a $67B all-stock merger, promising bill credits for Virginia customers but raising fresh questions about affordability and oversight as AI-driven power demand grows. Data Center Scrutiny: Strasburg residents pressed town leaders for answers on a data center moving forward without a council vote, spotlighting water, noise, and grid concerns. Chesapeake Update: Maryland’s winter dredge survey shows blue crab numbers rebounding—especially juveniles—though spawning females remain at a low point.

AI Security Crossroads: A CIA tech official says advanced AI models are pushing agencies to a “reflection point,” with tools that can spot software flaws also raising fears about easier hacking. Drought Stress on Water & Food: In Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, river flows are hitting extreme lows, with officials warning algae growth and major hay losses as heat and irrigation demand ramp up. Utility Shockwave for Virginia Bills: NextEra and Dominion announced a $67B merger to form the biggest regulated utility, promising Virginia bill credits after regulators sign off. PFAS Alarm Near Industrial Growth: A new report flags PFAS contamination concerns tied to AI data center expansion and herbicide facilities, adding pressure on state and federal cleanup and monitoring. Chesapeake Bay Crabs: Maryland and Virginia survey results show a rebound in juvenile blue crabs after years of weak recruitment, though scientists will keep watching adult females. Local Watch: VDOT is easing many Memorial Day lane closures, while the week’s biggest policy fight in Virginia remains how regulators handle the utility merger.

Drought Deepens Across Virginia: Virginia DEQ and the Drought Monitoring Task Force expanded drought advisories to cover the whole commonwealth—94 counties and 33 cities under watch or warning, with one county and five cities still in watch. Recent rain hasn’t been enough to ease moderate-to-severe dryness, and the state is flagging widespread agricultural stress plus higher wildfire danger. Energy & Water Pressure From AI: As AI data centers spread, new reporting is raising fresh alarms about PFAS “forever chemicals” showing up in soil and groundwater near data center expansion and herbicide facilities—adding to the growing fight over what rapid buildouts mean for local water and land. Dominion Deal Watch: NextEra is reportedly discussing a stock-for-stock bid for Dominion at about $76/share, a move that could reshape Virginia’s power landscape just as drought and grid strain are intensifying.

PFAS Pressure on the Grid: A new report flags PFAS “forever chemicals” in groundwater and soil near expanding AI data centers and herbicide facilities, raising fresh questions about what’s being released as Virginia and other states court more computing power. Drought Watch Expands: Virginia DEQ broadened drought warning advisories to 94 counties and 33 cities, keeping the whole state under watch or warning and upping wildfire and farm-risk concerns. Heat Is Building: Maryland is heading into a humid stretch with highs climbing into the 90s and scattered storm chances midweek. Solar Grazing Gets a Twist: Cattle are joining sheep as vegetation managers on solar sites—an approach that could reshape how rural land and energy projects coexist. Local Music Loss: Harrisonburg’s Golden Pony will close in June, a blow to a long-running hub for concerts and community culture.

PFAS Fears Near AI and Herbicide Sites: A new report is flagging “forever chemicals” in groundwater and soil near expanding AI data centers and herbicide manufacturing, raising fresh questions about what’s being released as Virginia and other states court tech growth. Virginia Water & Infrastructure Shock: In Chesapeake, a sewage tank exploded after a train smashed into a truck, sending green waste splattering and leaving the driver with life-threatening injuries. Data-Center Power Fight: In New England, a bill aimed at limiting local control over data centers was tabled—another reminder that the fight over who gets to set rules is moving fast. Policy Pressure on Toxic Air: Maryland AG Brown joined a coalition opposing EPA rollbacks on ethylene oxide limits, a move critics say could endanger communities near sterilization facilities. Local Outdoors & Community: At Claytor Lake Marina, gas for boat rentals is running below the state average as Memorial Day crowds roll in.

Data Center Scrutiny: A new PFAS alarm is landing on the AI boom: a report flags “forever chemicals” in groundwater and soil near expanding data center clusters and herbicide manufacturing sites, prompting state and federal investigations. Water Justice Context: The concern echoes a California study released this week that ties hyperscale data center growth to water scarcity and social vulnerability—Imperial County is highlighted as a flashpoint where environmental burdens and community risk overlap. Virginia Policy Watch: In the background of all this, Virginia’s regulators are still bracing for pressure on multiple fronts, from energy infrastructure fights to public health rules. Local Life: Closer to home, Pulaski County Schools named its teacher, employee, and bus driver of the year, while Salem VA Health Care System received maintenance funding for HVAC, windows, and other upgrades.

Data Center Costs, Now With a New Rule: Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed bills directing regulators to assign electricity costs to data centers, after ratepayer advocates warned that soaring capacity-market prices are pushing bills higher. The package also lets Dominion bury local distribution lines—up to $900,000 a mile—aimed at fewer storm outages. PFAS Alarm: A new report flags “forever chemicals” near AI data center expansion and herbicide manufacturing sites, with state and federal agencies reportedly looking into groundwater and soil contamination. Lead Hazard Funding: Dunkirk, Va. received a $1.9 million HUD grant to build a pipeline of trained, certified local contractors to reduce lead hazards in homes with young children. Public Health Watch: Separate from Virginia, New York officials say a suspected hantavirus case at a school is not tied to the cruise outbreak—no person-to-person spread expected. Wildfire Disruption: A grass fire in Minnesota forced a Highway 135 closure near Virginia and Gilbert as crews worked to contain it.

PFAS Backlash: A new report flags “forever chemicals” tied to AI data center expansion and herbicide manufacturing, with contamination reportedly found in groundwater and soil—adding fuel to the growing fight over how tech growth affects drinking water. AI Data Center Politics: Lawmakers are pushing for federal moratoriums until safeguards are in place, while local governments keep reacting—Reno just paused new data center applications after residents packed the room. Virginia Gun Safety Courtroom Fight: A federal lawsuit argues Virginia’s new “assault firearm” ban is unconstitutional, setting up another high-stakes legal showdown. Local Broadband Progress: Hanover’s Connect Hanover fiber build is on track, with thousands of homes now able to connect—though many still haven’t signed up. Nursing Shortage Pressure: Senior living operators warn of a “massive” incoming shortage of nurses and CNAs, threatening staffing stability.

Data Center Backlash, Loud and Local: In Virginia, the fight over data centers is getting louder—county planners in one recent meeting tabled consent items tied to the projects after a packed room of residents demanded answers, while across the country Pennsylvania’s surge is drawing town-hall anger over power, water, noise, and rural change. PFAS Alarm: A new national report links AI data-center expansion and herbicide facilities to PFAS “forever chemicals” showing up in soil and groundwater near some sites, adding pressure for stricter monitoring. Drought Deepens: Virginia’s drought warning advisory now covers nearly all of the Commonwealth, with extreme dryness expanding and wildfire risk rising. Energy Push, Same Debate: Dominion is pitching a new natural gas plant alongside renewables to meet demand, but critics say faster solar and other clean options should come first. Wildlife in the City: Richmond-area officials responded to a bear sighting near VCU, a reminder that stressed ecosystems don’t stay put.

Hantavirus Watch: Federal health officials say 41 people are under active monitoring across multiple states after a rare respiratory outbreak, with exposure tracing now stretching coast-to-coast. Local Schools Under Strain: Rockingham County schools are seeing a sharp rise in special education needs, pushing staffing and services harder than before. Data Center Backlash: Warren County planners tabled data center requests after a heated public meeting, underscoring how fast AI-driven growth is colliding with local process and community concerns. PFAS Alarm: A new report flags PFAS contamination risks tied to AI data center expansion and herbicide manufacturing, prompting calls for investigations. Virginia Politics: Labor leaders are reacting angrily to Gov. Spanberger’s planned veto of collective bargaining expansion for public workers. Public Health Reminder: Hanover County reports a rabies-positive cat in Mechanicsville and urges anyone with possible exposure to contact health officials. Sports: Virginia baseball heads to Louisville for a critical final regular-season series.