Environmental update for Proposed Wellington Datacenter site in Prince William County, Virginia
As part of our Community First Infrastructure Initiative, Microsoft is committed to help ensure our datacenters do not increase residential electricity costs, minimize and replenish water use, create local jobs, contribute to local tax bases, and expand AI skills and nonprofit investments in the communities where we operate.
Executive Summary
In 2024, Microsoft purchased land in Prince William County, Virginia for the purpose of datacenter development. While datacenter development for this site has yet to commence, we are in the process of applying for permits which will be subject to public approval.
The proposed Wellington Data Center site integrates accommodation of existing, third-party environmental remediation obligations, regulatory compliance, ecological permitting and future datacenter development. The project remains in the early planning and permitting stage and timing for the construction of a datacenter is still a long way off.
The property has an existing groundwater treatment and monitoring system that predates Microsoft’s ownership. The owner of the Consent Order remains responsible for addressing the historic groundwater contamination under government oversight while Microsoft is partnering closely with the consent owner for the oversight of government regulators for the relocation and modernization of the treatment infrastructure so the cleanup can continue as plans for the property advance. Microsoft and the consent order owner are coordinating with the EPA, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Prince William County and other relevant agencies. Required environmental reviews and approvals will be completed before work moves forward.
Microsoft is committed to working with the consent order owner, regulators and the community to protect groundwater. Microsoft is also committed to being a good neighbor in Prince William County, and will listen to the community, share information as plans advance and address questions along the way.
Site Background
The approximately 124-acre property is located on Wellington Road in Gainesville, Virginia. Decades before Microsoft purchased the property, it was used for industrial activities that resulted in historic groundwater contamination. The consent order owner, the party responsible for the cleanup, operates the groundwater treatment and monitoring system under government oversight.
In 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determined that the property had been cleaned up to levels that allow for commercial or industrial use. Groundwater treatment, monitoring and related use restrictions remain in place and will continue until regulators determine that cleanup objectives have been fully met.
Microsoft is now funding and providing technical support to relocate and modernize portions of the groundwater treatment infrastructure, so consent order owner cleanup can continue as plans for development advance.
Microsoft will continue working with the consent order owner and government agencies to protect groundwater, meet environmental requirements, and keep the community informed as plans progress. Additional information about the property’s cleanup history can be found here:
Environmental Stewardship and Construction Controls
As plans are developed, Microsoft’s approach will be to avoid and minimize impacts on wetlands, waterways, and other natural resources. If impacts cannot be avoided, permits will be appropriately sought and mitigation measures like stream and wetland credits would be incorporated into the project. As construction moves forward, environmental controls will address stormwater, erosion, soil, dust and waste. Additionally, materials will be evaluated and managed in accordance with applicable requirements.
Microsoft will continue sharing updates as plans advance and key milestones are reached.