Dear lawmaker,

 We hope this letter finds you well. We, the Associated Students of Pasadena City College's Sustainability and External Affairs Committees, are concerned about the emergence of AI Data Centers in our communities. 

We urge you to co-sponsor Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez’s AI Data Center Moratorium Act #S.4214. which aims to limit the construction of new AI data centers until further legislation and safeguarding is put in place. 

According to a 2025 article by Time, a community in Memphis, Tennessee faced a 79% rise in nitrogen dioxide levels after an AI data center was built, exacerbating asthma and COPD rates. The residents of Boxtown nearby suffered worsened air quality and quadrupled the cancer rates. Aside from the direct health impact on low socioeconomic communities, AI data centers would also place an immense strain on the water and electricity grids, potentially skyrocketing utility costs for students. Moreover, the noise, air, and water pollution around the data centers would lower property values for homeowners and long-time community members. 

During the Eaton fires of January 2025 in which students, staff, and faculty of the Pasadena Unified School District lost their schools and homes, water scarcity became a pressing issue for firefighting efforts. With Southern California already being prone to droughts and wildfires, new constructions of water- and power-hungry AI Data Centers would greatly increase the likelihood of more catastrophic wildfires in the following seasons, with even less water for firefighter use. 

We kindly ask you to support this bill’s passage. Evidently, it will be integral to the success of our students.

Warmly, 

ASPCC Sustainability and External Affairs Committees