NAACP and Environmental Group to Sue Elon Musk's xAI for Memphis Air Pollution: A lawsuit targeting xAI's supercomputer facility alleges violations of the Clean Air Act due to air pollution impacting predominantly Black communities near the Memphis data center. The complaint cites the use of gas turbines without proper permits and surpasses the allowed operational timeframe
xAI Faces Lawsuit over Unpermitted Memphis Data Center: NAACP and SELC allege Elon Musk's AI company violated the Clean Air Act by operating a pollution-emitting data center near predominantly Black communities for over 364 days without the necessary permits, despite claims of an exemption. The groups sent a 60-day notice of intent to sue, citing illegal gas turbine operation and environmental injustice
NAACP and SELC Issue Clean Air Act Notice of Intent to Sue xAI over Memphis Data Center Air Pollution. The environmental groups are challenging xAI's permit application, currently under review by the Shelby County Health Department, citing concerns about air pollution impacting predominantly Black communities near the facility. This 60-day notice precedes potential legal action under the Clean Air Act
xAI affirms its commitment to environmental responsibility and community engagement, stating its temporary power generators fully comply with all applicable laws
xAI confirms its temporary power generators comply with all relevant environmental regulations
xAI's Memphis supercomputer facility is investing billions, creating hundreds of jobs, and generating millions in local taxes. The company is also building a $35 million power substation and an $80 million water recycling plant to support the local utility. While utilizing temporary gas turbines with emissions-reducing technology, xAI maintains compliance with all applicable laws
xAI's Memphis Supercomputer: A Controversial Data Center. In June 2024, the Memphis Chamber of Commerce unexpectedly announced xAI's plans to build a massive supercomputer facility in a South Memphis industrial park. Located near factories and a TVA gas plant, its operation—beginning without a permit—has sparked an NAACP and SELC lawsuit over alleged air pollution impacting nearby predominantly Black communities
xAI's Memphis supercomputer center faces legal action from the NAACP and SELC over air pollution concerns. Critics allege the facility's gas turbines emit harmful pollutants, including nitrogen oxides, formaldehyde, and carbon dioxide, stressing the power grid and impacting nearby predominantly Black communities. The lawsuit, filed under the Clean Air Act, cites the lack of necessary permits and ongoing emissions exceeding permitted limits
xAI Faces Lawsuit over Air Pollution: The NAACP and SELC allege Elon Musk's Memphis AI facility violates the Clean Air Act, citing excessive pollution from gas turbines near predominantly Black communities already facing elevated cancer risks. A 60-day notice of intent to sue has been filed with the EPA
xAI faces legal action from the NAACP and SELC over its Memphis data center, accused of operating up to 35 unauthorized, pollution-emitting turbines without community notice or proper permits. The company claims compliance, citing temporary operation and planned emission reduction technology, but environmental groups allege violations of the Clean Air Act
xAI's Memphis supercomputer facility faces legal action from the NAACP and SELC over air pollution concerns. The facility's air permit, currently under review by the Shelby County Health Department following 1,700 public comments, designates the site as a hazardous air pollutant area source. This follows allegations that the facility operated for over 364 days without the necessary permits, despite claims of an exemption. The lawsuit, filed under the Clean Air Act, challenges the facility's emission controls and its proximity to predominantly Black communities
Memphis residents and the NAACP are suing xAI, Elon Musk's AI company, alleging environmental injustice. Concerns center around a Memphis supercomputer facility's air pollution impact on predominantly Black communities, fueled by allegedly unpermitted gas turbines. Critics accuse city leaders of prioritizing xAI's financial benefits over resident health and transparency
Memphis residents voiced strong opposition at an April county health department meeting to a new supercomputer facility, citing exacerbated air pollution in a city already failing the American Lung Association's ozone pollution grading. This concern highlights the existing air quality challenges and the potential for further environmental injustice
xAI's Memphis data center, despite facing an NAACP and SELC lawsuit over air pollution concerns, projects over $100 million in tax revenue for the city by next year. The company asserts its commitment to community improvement, citing significant economic contributions including job creation and investments in infrastructure like a new power substation and water recycling plant. xAI maintains its temporary power generation complies with all applicable laws and plans to implement emissions-reducing technology
xAI's Memphis data center generates millions in tax revenue, funding vital public services including public safety, education, and parks. This investment also creates hundreds of jobs and supports infrastructure improvements like a new power substation and water recycling plant
The company also apparently wants to expand: The chamber of commerce said in March that xAI had purchased a 1 million square-foot property at a second location, not far from the current facility.
Mayor Paul Young said In his weekly newsletter Friday that an ordinance now requires that 25% of xAI’s city property tax revenue be reinvested directly into neighborhoods within 5 miles of the facility.
Young also said that no tax incentives or public dollars are tied to the project.
“Let’s be clear, this isn’t a debate between the environment and economics,” Young said. “It’s about putting people before politics. It’s about building something better for communities that have waited far too long for real investment.”
One nearby neighborhood dealing with decades of industrial pollution is Boxtown, a tight-knit community founded by freed slaves in the 1860s. It was named Boxtown after residents used material dumped from railroad boxcars to fortify their homes. The area features houses, wooded areas and wetlands, and its inhabitants are mostly working class residents.
Boxtown won a victory in 2021 against two corporations that sought to build an oil pipeline through the area. Valero and Plains All American Pipeline canceled the project after protests by residents and activists led by State Rep. Justin J. Pearson, who called it a potential danger to the community and an aquifer that provides clean drinking water to Memphis.
Pearson, who represents nearby neighborhoods, said “clean air is a human right” as he called for people in Memphis to unite against xAI.
“There is not a person, no matter how wealthy or how powerful, that can deny the fact that everybody has a right to breathe clean air,” said Pearson, who compared the fight against xAI to David and Goliath.
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“We’re all right to be David, because we know how the story ends,” he said.
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Reporter Travis Loller contributed from Nashville, Tenn.
Source: Original Article