The Susquehanna River is one of Pennsylvania’s most important natural resources. It supports fish and wildlife, provides recreation for families and anglers, and sustains communities far beyond its banks. Decisions about what is released into this river must put its long-term health first.

Amazon Data Services Inc. is seeking approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to discharge used cooling water from a proposed data center campus in Salem Township, Luzerne County, into the Susquehanna River. The discharge point is located in a section of the river classified as a warm water fishery by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

Warm water fisheries are already under stress. Higher temperatures and low river levels, especially during summer months, reduce dissolved oxygen and make it harder for fish and other aquatic life to survive. Introducing heated cooling water into this environment risks pushing those conditions past a tipping point. Experts and advocates have raised concerns that such discharges could further lower oxygen levels and increase the risk of fish kills during periods of low flow.

The Fish and Boat Commission has stated that it has not yet reviewed any discharge permits related to this facility. At the same time, Amazon has filed a request to significantly increase its approved water consumption for the project. Once a river is harmed, the damage cannot simply be reversed.

We are calling on the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the Susquehanna River Basin Commission to deny or strictly prohibit any permit that allows thermal pollution to be discharged into a warm water fishery. If hyperscale data centers require cooling systems that place rivers at risk, then those systems must be redesigned or replaced with alternatives that do not threaten public waterways.

This petition is not opposed to technology or economic development. It is about enforcing clear environmental limits and respecting the purpose of existing river classifications. Pennsylvania should not weaken protections for its rivers to accommodate industrial growth.

The Susquehanna River belongs to the public. Its health supports ecosystems, local economies, and future generations. We urge state regulators to uphold strong water quality standards and keep heated cooling water out of the Susquehanna River.