Elon Musk’s xAI, fresh off a reported merger with SpaceX, is confronting a growing wave of opposition from environmental and civil rights organizations. The latest flashpoint is the company’s facility in Southaven, Mississippi, where concerns over pollution are escalating.
On Friday, legal representatives from the Southern Environmental Law Center and Earthjustice, acting on behalf of the NAACP, issued a formal notice of intent to sue xAI and its subsidiary MZ Tech LLC. The core of their grievance centers on xAI’s deployment of numerous natural gas-burning turbines. These groups contend that the operation of these turbines necessitates a federal permit under the Clean Air Act and that their current use without one constitutes a violation, posing significant harm to surrounding communities.
This isn’t the first time xAI’s turbine operations have drawn fire. Similar concerns were raised in Memphis, Tennessee, where the company utilizes these turbines to power its Colossus 1 and Colossus 2 data centers. The environmental impact of these facilities has been a persistent source of local conflict for over a year.
The planned third data center in Southaven, strategically located a mere 20 miles from Memphis, was announced earlier this year. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves heralded the project, anticipating it would generate “hundreds of permanent jobs throughout DeSoto County,” underscoring the significant economic development potential envisioned for the region.
Launched in 2023, xAI is aggressively positioning itself in the burgeoning generative AI market, aiming to challenge established players like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. The recent integration with SpaceX, Musk’s aerospace and defense giant, reportedly valued the combined entity at a staggering $1.25 trillion as of February 2nd.
Musk’s vision appears to hinge on the Memphis metropolitan area as a critical nexus for his AI ambitions. Critics argue that the company’s aggressive expansion strategy involves sidestepping environmental regulations to expedite development. It’s also worth noting that X, formerly Twitter, the social media platform also owned by Musk, is under the xAI umbrella, which is responsible for the Grok AI chatbot and its associated image generation capabilities.
The broader xAI entity is currently navigating a complex web of governmental investigations across Europe, Asia, and the United States. These probes were initiated following reports that Grok’s functionalities allowed users to readily create and disseminate deepfake pornography, including content depicting child sexual abuse.
Last year, residents in the predominantly Black community of Boxtown in South Memphis voiced their distress during public hearings. They described an overpowering stench in the air and the detrimental impact of worsening smog on their health, directly attributing these issues to xAI’s reliance on natural gas turbines. Scientific research from the University of Tennessee further corroborated these concerns, indicating that xAI’s turbine usage contributed to the existing air pollution challenges in the area.
Environmental advocates, including the NAACP, had previously signaled their intention to pursue legal action to halt xAI’s unpermitted turbine operations in Memphis. However, these plans were put on hold when the Shelby County health department permitted xAI to classify the turbines as temporary, non-road engines, subsequently issuing operational permits.
At the federal level, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has since clarified regulatory ambiguities, stating that these types of turbines cannot be legitimately classified as temporary non-road engines. Despite this clarification, xAI has reportedly continued to operate these turbines across state lines without securing the requisite federal permits.
When reached for comment, xAI did not immediately respond.
Beyond air quality, noise pollution emanating from the turbines has also become a significant point of local frustration. Jason Haley, a Southaven resident, shared his experience with the persistent, headache-inducing noise from the turbines, which he can hear even inside his home, operating around the clock.
Haley is an active member of “Safe and Sound,” a community group that meticulously documents the decibel levels produced by the turbines. The group is actively lobbying local officials to curtail xAI’s noise emissions, particularly during nighttime hours.
Mississippi officials are slated to hold a public hearing on Tuesday, providing a platform for community members to formally voice their concerns regarding xAI’s expansion plans in the region. The hearing’s primary focus will be determining whether the state should grant xAI permission to install and operate 41 permanent turbines at its Southaven facility, as previously reported by Mississippi Today.
This scenario mirrors broader trends across the United States, where the rapid proliferation of massive data centers by tech giants is placing considerable strain on local energy and water resources, often leading to increased costs for residents. In November, Microsoft suspended its plans for a data center in Wisconsin following strong community opposition. Similarly, Amazon withdrew its proposal for a data center in Arizona after significant public outcry.
Regarding the Southaven project, Patrick Anderson, a senior attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center, emphasized that xAI, like any other corporation, must adhere to legal mandates. “And when it flouts the Clean Air Act’s bedrock protections against unpermitted emissions, it puts the health and welfare of ordinary citizens at risk,” Anderson stated via email. “That’s why we intend to hold xAI accountable here.”
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality has not yet responded to requests for comment.
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