Data Center Next To Dulles Airport Seeks Environmental Permits

ASHBURN, VA — Digital Realty Trust, one of the world’s largest data center providers, plans to build a massive data center in Ashburn west of Dulles International Airport that will include 11 buildings and other infrastructure. The data center campus will be built on a 433-acre parcel of land near Old Ox Road and Beaver Meadow Road.

The San Francisco-based company submitted an application to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to build the project, which is located within the Stallion Branch watershed in Loudoun County. In addition to an environmental permit from the Army Corps of Engineers, Digital Western Lands LLC, the subsidiary overseeing the new project, must obtain a water protection permit from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality assuring that applicable laws and regulations pertaining to water quality are not violated.

The proposed data center campus, called Digital Dulles, is expected to impact 6.98 acres of wetlands and 420 feet of stream. Of the 6.98 acres of wetlands, impacts to 4.97 acres would be permanent. All 420 feet of stream would be permanently impacted, according to the application.

Based on its preliminary review, the Army Corps of Engineers does not believe it will need to conduct an environmental impact statement for the project. After conducting an Endangered Species Act review, the agency said the Northern Long Eared Bat could be impacted by the data center project.

Starting in 2005, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority bought land to the west of the airport for a fourth runway and support facilities. The airport authority retained about 430 acres of the land, which left 424 acres of a total 854 acres unused and undeveloped.

In 2018, Digital Western Lands acquired 424 acres from the MWAA for $236.5 million. The company already operates 16 other data centers in Loudoun County.

Northern Virginia leads the North American data center market, with more than 30 percent market share. Loudoun County leads the region’s data center concentration.

The Army Corps of Engineers is soliciting public feedback on the new project's environmental impact. Comments can be sent by email to ron.h.stouffer@usace.army.mil, or by regular mail to the Norfolk District, Corps of Engineers, Northern Virginia Field Office, 18139 Triangle Plaza, Suite 213, Dumfries, VA 22026. Comments are due to the Corps of Engineers by Aug. 11.