Google data center project in Chesterfield cited for environmental violations

A controversial data center — the first of three planned by Google in Chesterfield County — has already racked up a handful of environmental violations, according to a letter sent out by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. 

According to a Sept. 29 letter to Aaron McGarry, the Google official listed on the notice of violation, DEQ staff “received email correspondence indicating unauthorized filling of surface waters … outside the permitted impact areas at the Project Peanut site.” DEQ received seven reports between December 2025 and August 2026 and conducted five inspections during the same period. 

Many of the violations referenced in the notice stem from the discharge of sediment into local waterways. One reads as follows: “During the March 4, 2026 inspection, DEQ staff observed filling of state waters from the discharge of sediment pollutant. In total, sediment accumulation was observed in approximately 1,356 linear feet of stream channel.” 

Courtney Bernhardt, director of research at the nonprofit Environmental Integrity Project, adding outside sediment — loose soil generated by construction projects — to waterways may seem like a small issue, but can have major impacts on the ecosystem.

“If you smother the bottom of the stream, you’re going to kill all the little critters that live in that stream bed, and that is the base of the food web,” she said. “You’re essentially destroying the aquatic ecosystem from the bottom up.” 

According to the notice of violation, it appears construction on the 300-acre site caused about a foot of polluted sediment, affecting almost an acre of wetlands not far from the Meadowville Technology Park. Project Peanut’s campus is being built off of Old Bermuda Hundred Road. 

VPM News emailed DEQ, Chesterfield County and McGarry. DEQ would not make additional comment, a spokesperson for Chesterfield County declined to comment and McGarry did not return requests. 

Peanut officials have until Oct. 29 to answer DEQ’s notice. Project officials could receive penalties of up to $32,500 per violation per day, according to the notice — as much as $7 million per month in total.  

Google’s three planned data centers in Chesterfield County have been the source of controversy, with some residents crying foul over a lack of transparency and negative economic impacts. Next month, the county’s board of supervisors is set to consider a car tax cut linked to tax revenue the data centers generate. 

Bernhardt is also a resident of the county, and has attended many board meetings discussing data centers.

She said the board members “repeatedly say they’re happy Google is building data centers. If they really were the best, I wouldn’t expect them to be violating the law. Especially during construction.”