Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/584904
20 | THE DATA CENTER JOURNAL www.datacenterjournal.com e arlier this year, exposure to chlorine gas at the Apple data center in Maiden, NC, sent employees to a local hospital aer feeling dizzy and light- headed. e employees inhaled vapors created by a spill of a chemical commonly used at most data centers to clean cool- ing systems. Fortunately, the release was quickly contained and posed no threat to anyone else at the facility. Employees returned to work the following day. While plenty has been written about data centers' energy use and resulting pollution, data-management centers need to recognize and manage all of their opera- tional environmental risks. ese risks can result in costly cleanup, work safety issues and disruptions in operation if not identified and managed properly. Property managers and REITs with tenants manag- ing data centers or significant Internet support and computer hardware should be aware of environmental risks associated with these operations. environMenTaL risks Unique challenges arise in the design and construction of data centers, includ- ing the use of chemicals and hazardous materials such as ethylene/propylene glycol for cooling systems, diesel fuel for backup generators, lead-acid batteries for uninterrupted power supplies (UPSs), and compressed gases for fire suppression. Other important infrastructure includes networking and communications equip- ment such as routers, servers, switches and miles of cable. Owing to the amount of heat generated from operating this equip- ment, data centers need lots of equipment to handle temperature and air quality, including fans, air filters, air conditioners, chillers, water pipes, UPSs, batteries, back- up generators and other power sources. Excessive heat and electrical equipment fires in computer rooms have been linked as root causes in numerous structure fires. Servers do not do well in locations with extreme climates and/or weather fluctua- tions and require large cooling and air handling systems. Another big issue is chemicals that are necessary to the operation of data centers. ese chemicals must be properly stored and secured on site to prevent any spills or leaks. ey may serve in cool- ing systems such as refrigerants (i.e., hydrofluorocarbon gases such as "Freon") and antifreeze compounds (ethylene and propylene glycol). In addition, diesel fuel is oen used for backup generators, and large battery banks for backup power supply may contain lead and sulfuric acid. Various compressed gases are used for fire suppression systems, as they avoid severe damage to electronic equipment. Best management practices for storing chemicals such as diesel fuel and glycol should be implemented on site. For example, if stored outside a structure or building, tank storage systems should be equipped with secondary containment to capture any sudden or accidental release. In addition, these storage containment systems should be periodically inspected for leaks. Furthermore, spent batteries should not be stored in uncovered outdoor areas where the batteries can deteriorate from exposure to adverse weather condi- tions. Any leaks from spent batteries could reach nearby storm drains or surround- ing soils. e National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) has also documented battery deterioration and short circuits as root causes in data center and computer room fires. DaTa cenTers in shoPPing anD reTaiL cenTers Typically, thousands of clustered servers and other equipment may be housed in a room, an entire floor, or a building that operates 24/7. Our vision of most data centers is a large, nondescript warehouse-type building located some- where in the rural U.S. But according to a recent Wall Street Journal article, data centers are now popping up in repurposed shopping centers and malls throughout the country. Grappling with vacancies from the Great Recession, data center operators and real-estate mangers see opportunities in these distressed properties. Although these new data centers might not be eating up open green space, they may encounter other environmen- tal issues. ese former shopping and retail centers pose other problems when converting spaces, such as the lack of built-in security, possible location within a 100-year flood plain, and lack of adequate room for heating and cooling infrastruc- ture. Also, environmental due diligence to support property transactions has the potential to discover preexisting but un- known pollution conditions. According to Gizmodo.com, over a billion square feet of commercial space is vacant in the U.S., mostly in the form of big-box stores. In 2013, Sears announced the formation of a standalone company (Ubiquity Critical Environments) to han- dle the conversion of thousands of Sears stores and auto centers as well as K-Mart stores into data centers. Over the coming years, Ubiquity will assess and convert possibly 2,500 individual stores in accor- dance with performance and demand. e recent trend of converting empty shopping center buildings into data centers brings other types of exposure. Older buildings undergoing renovation could contain asbestos as well as lead based paint. Property acquisition and building renovations/expansions also have the potential for discovery of unknown historical soil and groundwater contami- nation, water intrusion sources/mold, or the aforementioned hazardous building materials. If not actively managed, these conditions create the potential for tenants and property managers, who may suffer costly pollution liability and business interruption claims. e use of data centers in shopping- center areas increases exposure to the gen- eral public owing to the presence of other retail stores surrounding the building. Any required upgrades to cooling systems for a building conversion could require storage of diesel fuel for an accompanying generator outside the building. Periodic testing of generators and emergency use can adversely affect nearby customers in adjacent stores or common spaces, result- ing in bodily-injury claims from noxious fumes. As mentioned earlier, the conver- sion of former auto-service facilities to data centers has the potential to result in discovery of localized areas of contami- nation from historical operations. ese issues could include petroleum impacts to the subsurface from former underground storage tanks and oil reservoirs used for