The NAACP has filed an intent to sue Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company, xAI, over air pollution concerns linked to its Colossus supercomputer data center located near predominantly Black neighborhoods in Memphis, Tennessee. The lawsuit centers on allegations that xAI operated dozens of natural gas turbines, with a capacity exceeding 400 megawatts, without the required permits, violating the Clean Air Act. The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) has also joined in threatening legal action against xAI. The turbines reportedly ran for nearly a year under a 364-day exemption that delayed pollution oversight. Despite community protests and health concerns, the Shelby County Health Department granted xAI a permit to operate 15 of these gas turbines until 2027, imposing emissions caps, testing requirements, and penalties for violations. The controversy has sparked a broader debate over environmental justice and public health impacts in Memphis, where asthma rates in affected communities have reportedly increased. City-conducted air quality tests have indicated no immediate danger, but activists and civil rights groups remain unconvinced and continue to challenge the facility's environmental impact. This case highlights tensions between technological development and environmental regulation in vulnerable communities.
xAI has begun building the world’s largest ceramic membrane bioreactor to sustainably provide 13 million gallons of recycled cooling water daily for its Colossus Supercomputer and nearby industries in Memphis https://t.co/1WbLXFM4ZK
xAI: Katie Miller, former advisor and spokesperson for DOGE, now official spokesperson for xAI, released a statement in response to the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) appealing the Shelby County Health Department's approval of xAI's natural gas-fired combustion turbines https://t.co/SDQXjLcz7m
NEWS: xAI has begun construction on the world’s large ceramic membrane bioreactor (MBR) to sustainably supply 13 million gallons per day of cooling water to their Colossus Supercomputer and neighboring industrial plants in Memphis, Tennessee. https://t.co/3e7EDaGCrz https://t.co/I8NWI3fb9R