The NAACP is suing Elon Musk's AI startup, xAI, and its subsidiary MZX Tech, alleging they illegally operated more than two dozen gas turbines in Mississippi. The lawsuit claims the companies violated the federal Clean Air Act by running 27 gas-fired turbines to power their Colossus 2 data center without obtaining required air permits.
The civil rights group contends that these operations, which power xAI's Grok chatbot, pose a significant health risk to local residents. "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,’" stated Abre’ Conner of the NAACP.
Earthjustice reports that the Southaven power plant has the potential to emit substantial amounts of smog-causing nitrogen oxides (NOx), fine particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and formaldehyde annually. The NAACP had previously announced its intention to sue after Mississippi regulators approved permits for the turbines following a limited public hearing.