Reykjavík health officials oppose data centres near prison

Reykjavík’s Health Inspectorate opposes plans to build data centres at Hólmsheiði, near Hólmsheiði prison, citing noise and disturbance that could negatively affect prisoners’ wellbeing, mbl.is reports.

The inspectorate also considers it undesirable to place data centres dependent on oil-powered backup generators within a water protection area. Its comments were requested by the office of Reykjavík’s planning and building official last month and presented to the city’s health committee last week.

The inspectorate said a memorandum on sound insulation did not adequately explain how much noise the data centres would produce. A more detailed assessment would be needed to evaluate their impact on the surrounding environment.

The noise would be continuous, lasting around the clock throughout the year. Even if it remained below permitted limits, the constant background noise could affect how people experience outdoor activities nearby, the inspectorate said. The longer people are exposed to noise disturbance, the greater the likelihood of negative health effects, including higher blood pressure and impacts on cardiovascular disease.

The inspectorate said it was most concerned about locating noisy operations such as data centres close to a prison and special security facilities for prisoners. Prisoners are a vulnerable group facing various challenges and cannot leave to find relief from the disturbance. They exercise outdoors within a restricted area, where noise from the data centres would very likely be audible.

The plans also involve using water for cooling. The inspectorate said it would be necessary to establish whether the sewage system could handle the resulting water use, noting that installing sewage infrastructure in the area was already technically difficult. Veitur, Reykjavík’s utility company, should be consulted on whether the system could receive large volumes of water.

As an example, the inspectorate said a cooling system for a biotechnology company’s data centre in Reykjavík discharges about 10,000 cubic metres of water into the sewage system.