In Memphis Tennessee, the NAACP has announced plans to sue Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence firm, xAI, for violating the Clean Air Act by running a massive data center near a historically Black neighborhood without legal permits. Musk’s facility runs on 35 methane gas-powered turbine generators, which emit significant amounts of nitrogen oxide and other toxic chemicals.
NAACP President Derrick Johnson said, “We cannot afford to normalize this kind of environmental injustice — where billion-dollar companies set up polluting operations in Black neighborhoods without any permits and think they’ll get away with it because the people don’t have the power to fight back.”
NAACP will be represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center. They sent a letter of intent to sue to xAI. So now we go from Amy Goodman to Patrick Anderson, senior attorney with SELC:
xAI’s decision to install and operate dozens of polluting gas turbines without any permits or public oversight is a clear violation of the Clean Air Act
Patrick Anderson, Senior Attorney
In South Memphis, a community already struggling with a legacy of environmental injustice and industrial pollution, a company founded by Elon Musk is running unpermitted gas turbines that threaten to make air pollution problems even worse.
Since breaking ground on its supercomputer facility last year, xAI has been operating dozens of unpermitted methane gas turbines without public notice, permits, or air pollution controls. These turbines emit dangerous chemicals like formaldehyde and smog-forming pollution. These pollutants can cause increased rates of asthma, heart disease, and cancer.
Today, we sent the company a formal notice on behalf of the NAACP: stop running polluting gas turbines, or we’ll see you in federal court.
xAI’s decision to install and operate dozens of polluting gas turbines without any permits or public oversight is a clear violation of the Clean Air Act
Patrick Anderson, Senior Attorney
The story continues to develop and there will be updates soon.