Reports emerging from investigative journalism have raised alarms over potential health risks linked to Amazon's data centres, with claims of elevated rates of rare cancers and miscarriages among employees and nearby residents in Northern Virginia. A detailed article published by Rolling Stone on November 30, 2025, highlighted clusters of these health issues in communities surrounding Amazon Web Services (AWS) facilities, attributing them to environmental impacts from the centres' massive energy and water consumption.
Northern Virginia, a sprawling hub for AWS with over 50 data centres, has seen rapid expansion since the early 2010s, transforming rural areas into high-tech corridors but also straining local resources. The report draws on personal testimonies from affected families, including cases of thyroid cancer, brain tumours, and multiple miscarriages, suggesting a correlation with proximity to the facilities, though experts caution that definitive causation requires rigorous epidemiological studies.
The allegations centre on the data centres' operational footprint, including high-volume water usage for cooling systems and potential groundwater contamination from nitrates or other pollutants. Rolling Stone's investigation, based on interviews with more than two dozen individuals and public health records, points to a pattern where pregnant workers and young mothers in the area reported unusually high miscarriage rates—up to three times the national average in some zip codes—alongside rare paediatric cancers.
Environmental advocates have long criticised the tech industry's "data centre boom" for exacerbating local pollution without adequate oversight, and this report amplifies calls for federal intervention. In Virginia, where data centres consume about 25% of the state's electricity, similar concerns have prompted lawsuits from residents alleging negligence, though no widespread class action has yet materialised. This comes amid broader scrutiny of Big Tech's environmental practices, as AWS powers much of the internet's backbone.
Amazon has firmly denied any responsibility for the reported health issues, asserting that its facilities comply fully with environmental and occupational safety standards enforced by agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In a statement to NDTV Profit, company spokesperson Lisa Levandowski emphasised, “Our data centres draw water from the same supply as other community members; nitrates are not an additive we use in any of our processes, and the volume of water our facilities use and return represents only a very small fraction of the overall water system, not enough to have any meaningful impact on water quality.”
The tech giant reiterated its commitment to employee and community well-being, noting routine monitoring and voluntary disclosures of emissions data. Amazon also offered to collaborate with any official investigations, while pointing to independent audits that found no elevated risks attributable to its operations.
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As the story gains traction, local health departments in Northern Virginia have initiated preliminary reviews of cancer registry data to assess the claims, though officials stress that correlation does not imply causation without controlled studies. The episode underscores the trade-offs of tech-driven economic growth, where job creation—AWS supports over 100,000 positions in the region—clashes with sustainability concerns. With global data centre demand projected to double by 2030, driven by AI and cloud computing, advocates urge stronger regulations to mitigate such risks. Amazon's response highlights its proactive stance on sustainability, including pledges for carbon neutrality by 2040, but sceptics argue for greater transparency in health impact assessments to rebuild trust in affected communities.
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