We are urgently seeking individuals who live in direct proximity to the Fort Wayne Google data center campus who 1. are living with a respiratory illness, cardiovascular disease, or asthma and/or 2. have someone living in the home with a respiratory illness, cardiovascular disease, or asthma and/or 3. have someone who regularly visits their home that has a respiratory illness, cardiovascular disease, or asthma.
We are asking these individuals to please write a letter of appeal to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, describing how this decision will directly impact your health or the health of a loved one in your home. Please email your letter along with your first and last name, phone number, and home address to danielledoepke@proton.me — letters must be sent to Danielle Doepke by Monday, April 27th.
In order to file an appeal against IDEM's decision regarding the 179 diesel-fueled industrial generators and one million gallons of diesel fuel stored on Google's Fort Wayne data center campus, we need to have standing and letters from directly impacted community members. Your letter will act as the appeal and our group will file on your behalf — there is no financial risk or risk of filing an appeal.
Once again, letters must be sent to Danielle Doepke — danielledoepke@proton.me — by Monday, April 27th.
On Thursday, April 30th at 5:00pm IDEM will be holding a virtual Public Hearing regarding Google's Phase III data center expansion requests. The expansion of the existing Google data center campus involvings three additional buildings, associated utility infrastructure, internal drives, and stormwater facilities. This is Phase III of a multi-phase, multi-year project.
According to reporting from 21Alive News, “We’re talking more than 867,000 square feet total. If all three buildings were the same size, they would each be the size of a large IKEA store just like the one down in Fishers.”
To make room for the buildings, Google intends to destroy and permanently impact waterways like Adams and Doctor Ditch as well as long-standing, naturally occurring, biodiverse forested wetlands.
Attend the Virtual Public Hearing and Email the IDEM Waterways Office to Tell Them to Not Approve Google's Phase III Request WQC001454 — do not allow Google to continue to destroy and permanently impact our waterways and wetlands
Dial In by Phone: 1 (317) 552-1674 Phone Conference ID: 935 626 883#
Submit Written Comment: Email: WaterwaysComments@idem.IN.gov Subject: Public Comment Regarding #WQC001454; I wish to receive a copy of IDEM’s final decision
*** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE *** OFFICIAL STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO IDEM’S APPROVAL OF GOOGLE’S AIR PERMITS
On behalf of all who have been fighting against this decision for many months, we are disgusted and furious that IDEM has come to this conclusion — government institutions are meant to protect the people, not the interests of corporations.
The fate of innocent people and families, human beings who simply have the misfortune of building their lives next to what was once agricultural land, are at risk. The workers currently onsite during this multi-year construction project, as well as any future in-person employees will also be deeply affected by this decision. While our children, the elderly, the disabled; the immunocompromised; people with asthma, respiratory illness, cardiovascular disease, and COPD are most at risk for adverse health impacts, make no mistake – this is violence against all forms of life. Premature death is a proven consequence of exposure to diesel exhaust air pollution – this has been well documented by international and national scientific research institutions. Despite this, Google has made the conscious decision to ignore the human health impact and utilize diesel-fueled generators as an energy source.
Google continues to claim that their generators will be emergency use only and because of this, none of diesel-fueled generators on site – current or approved in this decision – require any pollution or emissions controls. Absolutely none. Google voluntarily agreed to not exceed a limit of 250 tons/year of NOx (nitrogen oxides) pollution, however, basic calculations show that the generators easily exceed those limits well within the 100 hours of time they have been allowed to operate by the EPA.
In the people’s appeals to IDEM, we demanded that Google be held to the highest standards and utilize the best available technologies. Research has shown that Tier 4F generators reduce harmful exhaust and soot emissions by 90% — this technology exists and would significantly reduce the potential harm. However, IDEM has chosen not to hold Google to the highest possible standards and so far Google, one of the top global megacorporations whose value currently sits at $3.8 trillion dollars, refuses to install the best available technology and retrofit their equipment with pollution controls. Instead, the diesel exhaust smoke and soot is free to permeate our air and coat our lungs. The people of Allen County should be outraged.
IDEM has failed to prevent Google from destroying and permanently altering our wetlands and waterways; now they are allowing Google to pollute our air. Our federal and state leaders and lawmakers have failed to install legislative protections against this kind of deceptive corporate exploitation. Mayor Sharon Tucker, Greater Fort Wayne Inc., the Fort Wayne Economic Development Commission, the Fort Wayne Redevelopment Commission, County Commissioners, City Council, and other local bodies and individuals have failed to protect the residents of Allen County through their refusal to demand better from Google.
Do not let them forget what they have done to us and what they have stolen from us. It is critical to continue using your power to vote and protest – we must put the right people in positions of power. Support candidates that champion people over profits, will demand legislative oversight, and will work to end the reign of corporations and special interest groups. We all deserve representatives who will fight for us, and we cannot stop fighting for a better future.
IMMEDIATE CALL TO ACTION — On March 13, 2026, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) released a Public Notice regarding Google’s latest expansion request for their data center campus in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Phase III of Google’s Project Zodiac seeks to add three additional buildings in addition to other infrastructure.
According to reporting by Tom Powell from 21Alive News, “We’re talking more than 867,000 square feet total. If all three buildings were the same size, they would each be the size of a large IKEA store just like the one down in Fishers.”
To make room for the buildings, Google intends to destroy and permanently impact local waterways like Adams Ditch and long-standing, naturally occurring, biodiverse wetlands.
“A stream cannot simply be replaced on a different portion on the Google property. The microscopic makeup of soil (or nutrient-depleted dirt) cannot simply be hauled in from elsewhere and support the biological system of this area,” she said through email. “Plants, insects and animals will all be impacted. Even small changes can have outsized impacts to an ecosystem and to the watershed downstream.” — Kimberly Koczan, resiliency coordinator with Earth Charter Indiana
“Those two types of wetlands have different foliage and vegetation, wildlife, environmental needs and impact, hydrology and key functions,” she said through email. “Established, naturally occurring wetlands are self-sustaining ecosystems that provide food and shelter for much needed biodiversity as well as flood control. Google’s proposed man-made, constructed wetlands are a sad excuse and pitiful attempt to recreate what they intend to destroy, and those manufactured wetlands will never perform to the level of long-established natural wetlands.” — Danielle Doepke, local opponent of the Google data center
IDEM is now accepting public comments on Google’s proposal through Friday, April 3, 2026. We must demand a public hearing. According to the Public Notice, “Only comments or information related to water quality or potential impacts of the project on water quality can be considered by IDEM in the water quality certification review process. The request should also state the reason for the public hearing as specifically as possible to assist IDEM in determining whether a public hearing is warranted.”
Email your comments to WaterwaysComments@idem.IN.gov with the IDEM Permit Number WQC001454 in the subject line.
