eco minute

Data Center Thwarted, Great Lakes Fish

Data Center Thwarted, Great Lakes Fish

Tue Jan 20, 2026

1:00

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The developer behind an AI data center approved in Port Washington is backing away from plans to buy up land near Green Bay. Residents in the Village of Greenleaf caught wind of the project when some landowners started getting offers from an undisclosed buyer. Once it became clear the buyout was for a massive data center, concerns about water use and other environmental harms quickly followed. After strong local pushback, Cloverleaf has announced it would no longer pursue that location. Commercial fishing companies working in the Great Lakes have stopped putting fish waste into area landfills. Every year, about 60% of the fish harvested has been thrown away -heads, guts, skin, scales. Now 90% of fishing companies in the region have pledged to use every part of every fish for products like fish oil and fish meal. The move will cut 8-million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions generated by landfilling. Right now on the Defender Podcast: The EPA moves to weaken one of our most successful environmental protections – the Clean Air Act. Listen at cleanwisconsin.org or wherever you get your podcasts.