NAACP Urges Memphis Officials to Halt Operations at xAI’s ‘Dirty Data Center’
The NAACP is calling on local officials to immediately halt operations at Colossus, the “supercomputer” facility run by Elon Musk’s xAI in South Memphis. Citing concerns over air pollution and environmental justice, the civil rights organization has issued a formal demand for intervention.
In a letter sent Thursday to the Shelby County Health Department and Memphis Light Gas and Water, NAACP leaders criticized what they described as a “lackadaisical approach to the operation of this dirty data center,” as reported by NBC News. The letter urges officials to “issue an emergency order for xAI to stop operations completely” or, at a minimum, to cite and stop the company from allegedly violating clean air laws. [1]
The core of the NAACP’s concerns lies in the gas turbines used by xAI to power Colossus. While the company has applied for a permit to operate 15 gas turbines at the facility, the NAACP alleges that authorities have “allowed xAI to operate at least 35 gas turbines without any permitting” over the past year. City officials had previously stated that xAI did not require permits during the turbines’ first year of operation. [2]
These turbines reportedly emit hazardous air pollutants, including formaldehyde, at levels exceeding EPA limits, according to reports. The NAACP’s letter specifically highlights the turbines’ nitrogen-oxide emissions. [3]
The NAACP emphasizes the location of the Colossus facility near South Memphis’ Boxtown neighborhood, which it describes as a “historically Black community.” The organization argues that the location perpetuates “the trend of industries adding pollution to communities who do not cause the problem,” raising significant environmental justice concerns.
“Instead of [the Shelby County Health Department] working to reduce health issues known in the area including that cancer risks are already four times the national average, it has allowed xAI to operate above the law,” the NAACP stated in their letter.
The letter is addressed to Shelby County Health Department Director Michelle Taylor, who is preparing to leave her role to become the commissioner of the Baltimore City Health Department, and to the commissioners of Memphis Light Gas and Water. [4]
TechCrunch has reached out to the NAACP and xAI for comment. A spokesperson for Memphis Light Gas and Water told NBC News that the utility had not yet received the NAACP letter.
