On Oct. 26, 2026, the Savannah Morning News reported that OpenAI had applied to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for permission to fill 72 acres of wetlands for a proposed data-center campus in Effingham County, Georgia. The application was made publicly accessible on Oct. 5, and the report described it as pending on Oct. 26.
What OpenAI’s application proposes
The proposed campus at the Savannah Gateway Industrial Hub would include four data-center facilities and related infrastructure. The application seeks permission to fill 72 acres of wetlands; it is a permit request for a proposed development.
How the request compares with wetlands labeled on the map
An annotated map of the proposed site labels approximately 237.55 acres of freshwater wetlands. The 72-acre request is about 30.3% of that figure (72 ÷ 237.55), a rough comparison between the reported request and the map’s acreage label.
OpenAI’s stormwater plan and local concerns
OpenAI said its plan would preserve 70% of the wetlands within the project site, including a larger connected area. The company also said it commissioned stormwater engineering studies and planned infrastructure intended to match the drainage capacity of existing wetlands and natural soils. OpenAI said those measures would prevent increased downstream flood risk.
Jeff Beauvais of the conservation nonprofit One Hundred Miles questioned the site choice and raised concerns about downstream flooding. He pointed to two permanent creeks bordering the area and existing flooding problems near Dasher Creek. The company’s flood-control statement and Beauvais’s concerns describe positions on a proposed design, rather than observed effects.
Federal review and the reported comment deadline
The report said Section 404 of the Clean Water Act requires a federal permit to destroy or disturb wetlands. It described the approval standard as the Least Environmentally Damaging Practicable Alternative (LEDPA), meaning the least environmentally damaging practicable option.
The Oct. 26 report gave Nov. 4, 2026, as the deadline for public comments on the application.
