A lawsuit claims that Elon Musk’s AI firm, xAI, is unlawfully releasing harmful pollutants into predominantly Black areas along the Tennessee-Mississippi border. Filed in federal court in Mississippi on Tuesday, the complaint asserts that xAI breaches the Clean Air Act through emissions from an improvised power setup in Southaven, Mississippi, which supports its data centers in southern Memphis. The NAACP, backed by the Southern Environmental Law Center and Earthjustice, contends that xAI has deployed numerous methane-fueled generators without required approvals, affecting nearby historic Black communities. The group aims to compel xAI to cease using these unauthorized units in Southaven. Derrick Johnson, NAACP president and CEO, stated that large firms like xAI often disregard communities in pursuit of their goals. xAI’s facilities, dubbed Colossus and Colossus II by Musk, are expansive structures, with the second spanning one million square feet in Memphis. Situated in an industrial district, they lie close to residential zones that have endured pollution for years, including Boxtown, founded by freed slaves in the 1800s. The suit alleges xAI improperly set up and ran as many as 27 bus-sized gas turbines to energize the centers, potentially releasing substantial nitrogen oxides and toxins like formaldehyde annually, per the Southern Environmental Law Center. In a statement, xAI affirmed its dedication to community and environmental standards, claiming the interim power units comply with regulations. The company offered no further comment on the specific accusations. These Memphis areas, still largely Black, experience elevated asthma and breathing issues, plus reduced lifespans compared to elsewhere in the city. Research indicates cancer risks four times above the U.S. norm. Johnson emphasized rejecting such environmental inequities, where wealthy entities establish unpermitted polluters in Black areas assuming minimal resistance. The NAACP requests court orders to halt operations, fines, and legal cost reimbursement. xAI unveiled its initial Colossus center in Memphis in 2024, soon followed by methane generators, distinct from the contested Mississippi units. Aerial images from the law center showed at least 18 units operational within 122 days of Musk’s activation announcement. By this April, the count had almost doubled. Despite backing from Memphis Mayor Paul Young and the local chamber, xAI’s swift expansion in Memphis and Southaven has drawn strong resident pushback. After permit approval, environmental advocates challenged it before the county air board, noting the area’s ongoing failure to meet EPA ozone standards and overlooked unpermitted units. Locals, officials, and nonprofits have organized demonstrations and discussions against the claimed pollution. Tennessee State Representative Justin Pearson from Memphis urged during an April session that Mayor Young and Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris safeguard air quality, stressing that clean air is a right not for sale to xAI or Musk.
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