The NAACP is demanding Memphis officials shut down Elon Musk’s xAI supercomputer facility, claiming the world’s largest AI training center violates clean air laws and threatens the health of nearby black residents.
The civil rights organization sent a letter Thursday to the Shelby County Health Department and Memphis Light, Gas and Water officials, alleging xAI has operated up to 35 gas turbines without proper permits for over a year at its Colossus facility in South Memphis. The turbines power the supercomputer that trains Musk’s Grok AI chatbot, which they claim emits excessive hazardous pollutants.
“We are urging you again to ensure that xAI stops operating its unpermitted turbines in violations of clean air and open meeting act laws and to order xAI to pay penalties for operating in violation of the law,” the letter states. “The message that [Shelby County Health Department] and [Memphis Light, Gas and Water] have sent to the community is that billionaires matter more than the tax payers and residents who live there.”
Colossus 2 will be the first Gigawatt AI training supercluster https://t.co/HPjEeqg3be
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 20, 2025
Musk has said the data center — called “Colossus” — will be the first gigawatt-scale AI training facility in the world. It powers Grok, the chatbot xAI is positioning to compete with OpenAI’s ChatGPT and others.
But the NAACP says the operation is “illegal,” citing emissions estimates of up to 2,000 tons of nitrogen oxide per year from the turbines and invoking the Clean Air Act’s “New Source Review” rule. They argue xAI’s decision to split the turbines into smaller groups is a deliberate strategy to “sidestep the law.”
“xAI did not choose to start in any community, Musk built his first southwest Memphis, Tennessee center near Boxtown, which is [sic] historically black community in the state,” the letter continues. “This decision perpetuated the trend of industries adding pollution to communities who do not cause the problem.”
City officials, including the mayor, previously said permits weren’t required for the turbines’ first year of operation in a statement to WREG Memphis, while environmental groups like the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) argue the Clean Air Act should apply to the project.
xAI maintains its “operations comply with all applicable laws” and that it “works collaboratively with County and City officials, EPA personnel and community leaders” in a statement to NBC News. The company has reportedly applied for permits for 15 permanent turbines, stating they will include pollution controls and serve only as backup power once other energy sources become available. Neither the NAACP nor xAI immediately responded to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s requests for comment.
The NAACP is demanding xAI immediately shut down operations and face penalties. If not, it’s urging officials to issue emergency orders and cite the company for violating clean air standards.
“While we applaud research and innovation, there must be limits that ensure that communities are healthy and live to enjoy the benefits of any potential innovation … however, no one should be above reproach when asked to follow laws created to protect health,” the letter reads.
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