Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, is in hot water again. Just one week after merging with SpaceX in a massive $1.25 trillion deal, the company faces a potential lawsuit from environmental and civil rights organizations. On Friday, the NAACP, Earthjustice, and the Southern Environmental Law Center formally warned xAI that they intend to sue. The dispute centers on pollution coming from the company’s facility in Southaven, Mississippi.
The legal coalition claims xAI is violating the Clean Air Act. They state the company is running dozens of natural gas-burning turbines without the necessary federal permits. These massive turbines provide the power xAI needs to train its artificial intelligence models, but locals say they also pump harmful emissions into their neighborhoods.
This isn’t the first time Musk’s team has clashed with residents in the area. xAI already runs similar operations just 20 miles away in Memphis, Tennessee. For over a year, residents in the majority-Black community of Boxtown have complained about foul smells and worsening smog caused by the data centers. Now, the controversy has crossed the state line into Mississippi.
Beyond air quality, noise is a major complaint. Jason Haley, a resident of Southaven, says the turbines create a headache-inducing drone that runs 24/7. He can even hear it inside his home. He is working with a local group called “Safe and Sound” to pressure officials to stop the noise, especially at night.
Musk is currently racing to build infrastructure to compete with rivals like Google and OpenAI. However, critics argue he is ignoring regulations to move quickly. While the EPA recently clarified that these turbines require strict permits, xAI has continued to use them.
Mississippi officials will hold a public hearing on Tuesday to discuss whether xAI can install 41 permanent turbines. Meanwhile, Patrick Anderson, an attorney involved in the legal notice, says xAI must follow the law like any other company rather than putting the health of ordinary citizens at risk to speed up their business.
