NAACP sues xAI over air pollution near Memphis data center

NAACP sues xAI over air pollution near Memphis data center



(The Center Square) – The NAACP filed a lawsuit in federal court Tuesday against Elon Musk’s xAI, saying the company is illegally operating 27 methane gas turbines in Mississippi to power its Colossus 2 data center complex across the state line in Memphis.

In the lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi, the NAACP says emissions from the gas turbines violate the Clean Air Act. The Colossus 2 data center near Memphis is the primary training facility for Grok-4, xAI’s next generation chatbot.

The NAACP says between August and December, xAI and its subsidiary MZX Tech, operated 27 gas turbines in Southaven, Miss., “without an air permit or regard for the health and safety of people living nearby.”

Represented by Earthjustice and the Southern Environmental Law Center, the NAACP is suing to halt xAI’s operations until the company obtains permits, installs the most effective pollution controls available, and pays financial penalties for every day that air quality violations occurred.

In response to the legal action, xAI confirmed commitment to environmental standards.

“The temporary power generation units are operating in compliance with all applicable laws,” a company statement said.

“A data center should not be a potential death sentence for a community’s health,” said Abre’ Conner, NAACP director of environmental and climate justice. “By looking to evade clean air laws to operate dirty turbines that emit pollution and known carcinogens, these companies are following a shameful, familiar pattern: asking Black and frontline communities to bear the toxic brunt of ‘innovation.’”

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