As artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly more prominent, opposition is growing nationwide against the data centers that support these systems. In May 2026, the community of Kenilworth, New Jersey, rallied against the opening of a new $1.8 billion center, claiming it will increase noise, air pollution, and PFAS contamination.
What Are PFAS and Why Do They Matter?
PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a class of thousands of synthetic chemicals that have earned the name “forever chemicals” because they do not break down in the environment or in the human body. PFAS have been found in drinking water supplies across the United States, and decades of litigation have exposed the role of major manufacturers in knowingly contaminating communities.
How Data Centers Introduce PFAS Into Communities
Keeping thousands of servers from overheating is one of the core engineering challenges of any data center. Many facilities rely on PFAS-based refrigerant gases and immersion cooling fluids, substances that are extremely effective at dissipating heat, but carry serious environmental risks. PFAS cooling gases can escape into the atmosphere, where some variants carry a global warming potential thousands of times greater than CO2. PFAS-based immersion fluids can leak or seep into soil and groundwater, finding their way into drinking water sources and agricultural land.
Communities Are Bearing the Costs
The communities hosting data centers were often promised jobs and economic growth. What many have received instead is landscape transformation, noise and air contamination, and surging electricity bills.
Napoli Shkolnik’s PFAS and Environmental Litigation Work
Napoli Shkolnik represents individuals, municipalities, and water utilities that have been harmed by PFAS contamination. We understand both the science behind these chemicals and the legal strategies needed to pursue meaningful accountability and compensation.
One critical legal avenue available to contaminated communities is the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), which states that parties responsible for releasing hazardous substances face strict liability for cleanup costs.
Protecting Your Community
If your municipality has detected PFAS in its water supply or environment, you may have legal options. Contact Napoli Shkolnik today.