Public Comment Period and Public Participation Opportunities for Monarch Cloud Campus
Written Comments Written comments must be received by the DAQ before 5 p.m. on Friday, October 30, 2026. Only written comments received within the specified timeframe or oral comments presented at the public meeting will be considered prior to final action on the permit. All comments will become part of the public record.Mail to:
Edward Andrews, P.E.
WV Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Air Quality
601 57th Street, SE, Charleston, WV 25304
Permit Information
On April 17, 2026, Monarch Cloud Campus, LLC (MCC) applied to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Air Quality (DAQ), for a permit to construct an off-grid electric power generation facility to support a dedicated data center campus located at 30 Monarch Way, off Ohio River Road near the former Mason County Airport, in Mason County, West Virginia (latitude 38.914258°, longitude -82.100935°).
Potential Emissions
The proposed permit would authorize the following potential emissions:
Particulate Matter (PM): 49.25 tons per year (TPY) Particulate Matter less than 10 microns (PM10): 43.31 TPY Particulate Matter less than 2.5 microns (PM2.5): 35.46 TPY Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx): 398.96 TPY Carbon Monoxide (CO): 984.83 TPY Sulfur Dioxide (SO2): 47.68 TPY Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC): 898.89 TPY Sulfuric Acid Mist (H2SO4): 6.91 TPY Total Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs): 619.16 TPY Greenhouse Gases (CO2e): 11,050,507.13 TPY
Regulatory Evaluation and Increment Analysis
The purpose of the DAQ’s permitting process is to make a preliminary determination of whether the proposed construction meets all state and federal air quality requirements. WVDEP rules and U.S. EPA regulations require that all pollutants increased in “significant” amounts under 45CSR14 shall: (1) be controlled by Best Available Control Technology (BACT); (2) not cause or contribute to violations of National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) or applicable air quality increments; and (3) not adversely impact soils, vegetation, and visibility. A preliminary evaluation indicates the proposed source will comply with all applicable rules, including 45CSR14. MCC anticipates a facility startup date of April 2027.
Class I Increment Analysis: Screening and modeling analysis showed that potential impacts in nearby Class I areas (Otter Creek Wilderness Area and Dolly Sods Wilderness Area in West Virginia; Shenandoah National Park and James River Face Wilderness Area in Virginia) were “insignificant” as defined by 45CSR14, precluding the need for a full multi-source Class I increment analysis.
Class II Increment Analysis: The maximum modeled Class II increment consumption results are:
24-hour PM2.5: 1.32 micrograms per cubic meter (14.67% of increment) Annual PM2.5: 0.24 micrograms per cubic meter (6.00% of increment) Annual NO2: 4.95 micrograms per cubic meter (19.80% of increment)
Copies of the draft permit, application, engineering evaluation, and supporting materials may be inspected at or obtained from the DAQ office listed above, by calling (304) 926-0499 ext. 41244, or by emailing edward.s.andrews@wv.gov.
Draft permit materials are also available online at:
https://dep.wv.gov/daq/permitting/Pages/NSR-Permit-Applications.aspx
West Virginia State Waters Permit Applications
Monarch Cloud Campus, LLC has requested West Virginia State Waters Permits underW. Va. Code §22-11-8(b)(3) to construct two separate projects on Airport Road in Point Pleasant, WV 25550 (38.909875, -82.100642 and 38.9163306, -82.0991972): Monarch Campus Data Center No. 2 and Monarch Campus Data Center No. 3. Each project consists of a data center with four associated power nodes to support regional data processing and power infrastructure. Data Center No. 2 will impact 1.78 acres of Palustrine Forested Wetland. Data Center No. 3 will impact 0.38 acres of Palustrine Emergent Wetland, 2.31 acres of Palustrine Forested Wetland and 0.29 acres of Palustrine Scrub-Shrub Wetland.
Because both sites will impact state-protected wetlands that fall outside direct federal jurisdiction, the WVDEP requires the developer to ensure the project will not impair the physical or biological health of state waters or cause adverse downstream impacts. To offset the planned impacts, Monarch Cloud Campus, LLC will either purchase mitigation bank credits (paying to protect and preserve a larger, pre-restored wetland nearby) or pay into the WVDEP In-Lieu Fee Program (a state-managed fund that directly finances local wetland and stream restoration projects in the state).
The West Virginia Water Pollution Control Act requires a permit for activities that may cause an alteration to the physical or biological integrity of the waters of the State.
WVDEP follows the existing West Virginia Legislative Rule §47CSR5A which pertains to jurisdictional waters for the purpose of outlining this application process and
compensatory mitigation guidelines.
The WVDEP Division of Water and Waste Management is accepting public comments on Monarch Cloud Campus, LLC’s applications for West Virginia State Waters Permits SWP-26-0002 and SWP-26-0003:
Informal Public Workshop & Public Meeting
Monday, October 26, 2026
Informal Workshop: 5 to 6 p.m.
Public Meeting: 6 to 8 p.m.
Point Pleasant High School
280 Scenic Drive, Point Pleasant, WV
During the informal workshop, members of the public may meet one-on-one with WVDEP program staff to ask questions, review project details, and discuss the permit applications.
Beginning at 6 p.m., WVDEP staff will provide a brief overview of the projects before opening the floor for official public comments.
Written Comments Written comments on the State Waters Permit applications will be accepted through the conclusion of the public meeting at 8 p.m. Monday, October 26, 2026. Comments may be emailed to WQScomments@wv.gov or mailed to:
West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection
ATTN: 401 Certification Program
Division of Water and Waste Management
601 57th Street SE
Charleston, WV 25304
Copies of the permit applications and additional information are available on the WVDEP website.
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