Erin Brockovich

Brockovich relayed claims from others that current data centers could be obsolete within five years and left abandoned.

“this type of data center will be obsolete in five years and then we'll just abandon them and have, you know, what, thousands of little mini Chernobyls”

The Shawn Ryan Show: #322 Erin Brockovich - Will AI Data Centers Secretly Drain America’s Water Supply? (Jul 16, 2026) · Listen from 44:18

Brockovich called this the most bipartisan environmental issue she had seen in 30 years of work.

“that's why I've never seen a bipartisan issue like this in 30 years ever”

The Shawn Ryan Show: #322 Erin Brockovich - Will AI Data Centers Secretly Drain America’s Water Supply? (Jul 16, 2026) · Listen from 2:05:12

Brockovich said residents near operating data centers report constant humming noise they say harms their mental health.

“The constant 24-7 noise. humming and buzzing is literally driving them insane. There are starting to be reports of mental health issues”

The Shawn Ryan Show: #322 Erin Brockovich - Will AI Data Centers Secretly Drain America’s Water Supply? (Jul 16, 2026) · Listen from 40:26

Brockovich said insiders report that waste from cleaned closed cooling systems is being dumped into sewers without oversight.

“I'm getting whistleblowers on the inside saying that they're taking all that waste and they're just running it down into the sewers”

The Shawn Ryan Show: #322 Erin Brockovich - Will AI Data Centers Secretly Drain America’s Water Supply? (Jul 16, 2026) · Listen from 35:25

Brockovich reported that Blackstone's QTS dropped its Virginia Supreme Court appeal to build the world's largest data center after local opposition.

“After three years of local opposition, Blackstone's QTS has dropped its Virginia Supreme Court appeal to build the world's largest data center”

The Shawn Ryan Show: #322 Erin Brockovich - Will AI Data Centers Secretly Drain America’s Water Supply? (Jul 16, 2026) · Listen from 56:03

Brockovich reported that San Marcos became the first Texas city to fully ban new data centers.

“San Marcos just made history by becoming the very first city in all of Texas to completely and fully ban new data centers”

The Shawn Ryan Show: #322 Erin Brockovich - Will AI Data Centers Secretly Drain America’s Water Supply? (Jul 16, 2026) · Listen from 55:15

Brockovich said about 14 states were considering bans, moratoriums or pauses on new data centers.

“you now have up to 14 states that are considering total bans, moratoriums, they're putting on pauses, hold your horses, we need more information”

The Shawn Ryan Show: #322 Erin Brockovich - Will AI Data Centers Secretly Drain America’s Water Supply? (Jul 16, 2026) · Listen from 27:49

Brockovich said she treats AI as a tool and often finds its answers inaccurate.

“use AI for the good tool that it is. It isn't be all, end all, know all, everything”

The Shawn Ryan Show: #322 Erin Brockovich - Will AI Data Centers Secretly Drain America’s Water Supply? (Jul 16, 2026) · Listen from 20:11

Brockovich said PG&E told Hinkley residents their water contained natural chromium, concealing that it was toxic hexavalent chromium.

“PG&E had told everybody in Hinkley that there was chromium in their water, a natural element. Chromium-6, however, is a man-made chemical, and it's highly toxic”

The Shawn Ryan Show: #322 Erin Brockovich - Will AI Data Centers Secretly Drain America’s Water Supply? (Jul 16, 2026) · Listen from 1:38:47

Brockovich recounted that Hannibal mothers organized, one won a council seat, and a referendum and state bill ended chloramine use.

“she wrote legislation, introduced it to the state of Missouri, and they passed a bill and banned chloramines”

The Shawn Ryan Show: #322 Erin Brockovich - Will AI Data Centers Secretly Drain America’s Water Supply? (Jul 16, 2026) · Listen from 1:33:35

Brockovich argued that companies would earn more long-term by investing in safety upfront rather than paying escalating litigation costs.

“these environmental lawsuits aren't settling anymore for $333 million. These big fire cases are settling for $35 billion”

The Shawn Ryan Show: #322 Erin Brockovich - Will AI Data Centers Secretly Drain America’s Water Supply? (Jul 16, 2026) · Listen from 1:27:27

Brockovich reported residents describing sharply higher utility bills they attribute to data centers.

“I have people saying their utility bills have gone from water bill from $40 a month to $800 a month”

The Shawn Ryan Show: #322 Erin Brockovich - Will AI Data Centers Secretly Drain America’s Water Supply? (Jul 16, 2026) · Listen from 38:30

Brockovich argued that the secrecy of NDAs was the top grievance of communities across every state reporting to her map.

“If there's no big secret, then why do you need a nondisclosure? And that was what was bothering every community in every state that has submitted”

The Shawn Ryan Show: #322 Erin Brockovich - Will AI Data Centers Secretly Drain America’s Water Supply? (Jul 16, 2026) · Listen from 28:14

Brockovich said whistleblowers report that data centers use PFAS in coolant and that there is no regulation of its disposal.

“they're using PFAS in the coolant, and then that has to be disposed of”

The Shawn Ryan Show: #322 Erin Brockovich - Will AI Data Centers Secretly Drain America’s Water Supply? (Jul 16, 2026) · Listen from 7:54

Brockovich said her data center map had received about 12,000 submissions within ten weeks, with 8,000 or more vetted and pinned.

“12,000 submissions. I updated the map last night, and we've now pinned it. 8,000 submissions. So we read each submission and we vet its location”

The Shawn Ryan Show: #322 Erin Brockovich - Will AI Data Centers Secretly Drain America’s Water Supply? (Jul 16, 2026) · Listen from 3:59