What Is Infrasound? Calvert Environmental Commission Explains This Possible Data Center Issue

PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. — Part of the conversation around data centers in Calvert County has been about possible noise disruptions, especially following reports of nonstop noise in areas in Texas and beyond that disrupt quality of life.

Data center developers say they can mitigate sound issues with careful building plans, and some regions around the country are putting this into practice, and that sound is typically the same decibel level as a vacuum cleaner.

But in addition to people who live near data centers reporting a “constant humming,” experts worry about infrasound, a type of sound below 20 Hz that’s on the lower limit of human hearing. Infrasound is often inaudible but is made up of long, high-energy waves that allow it to travel long distances and pass through obstacles easily, making it difficult to stop its movement with walls or structures.

Infrasound causes anxiety, headaches, nausea, and dizziness. It cannot be heard but is felt in the body as vibrations or pressure. And, notably for Calvert County, infrasound is also carried through water, creating potential drastic impacts for the wildlife in the area.

At the April 15 special joint meeting of the Calvert County Environmental Commission and Planning Commission, Dr. Janette Wysocki outlined some of the issues.

“There are limited studies on infrasound impacting animals,” Dr. Wysocki said, pointing out that the water-based ecosystem could be affected. “Bats will be impacted by any noise because of their echolocation. And we need them to eat the mosquitoes. Noise can also interfere with communication patterns with birds that talk to each other across a continuous landscape. It could impact migration, mating. And since we have such a narrow peninsula, if we affect all the animals who live here it could impact us to the point where we could face an ecosystem collapse.”

Dr. Wysocki also pointed out that in a farming community, infrasound could impact the bees that are necessary to make farms work.

Environmental Commission member Dr. Andy Rogers said he knew from his time conducting noise studies for the United States Navy that most studies will use a 24-hour average decibel level in their study and said the company would likely use that number to “whitewash” the impacts.

“But that’s not useful for the things we care about, like kids being in school for 8 hours in a day. You’d get quite a different answer for what the kids and animals would ever experience.”

In most places, developers do not test for infrasound levels because they don’t have to. Calvert’s own text amendments do not include requirements for infrasound levels.

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