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Local regulators should immediately stop Elon Musk’s supercomputer project from operating in South Memphis because it’s out of compliance with environmental rules, the NAACP wrote in a letter sent Thursday to Shelby County officials.
The civil rights group addressed the request to Dr. Michelle Taylor, director of the Shelby County Health Department, and to the commissioners of Memphis Light Gas and Water. The health department is responsible for implementing federal air regulations in Shelby County, which encompasses Memphis.
“Being the world’s richest man doesn’t give you the right to pollute Black communities and jeopardize the health of its residents,” NAACP president and CEO Derrick Johnson said in a statement to NBC News. “We urge the health department to step in immediately.”
When contacted, a spokesperson for Memphis Light Gas and Water said it had not received the NAACP letter and could not comment on it. Neither the health department nor xAI immediately responded to questions about the letter, which was also signed by the presidents of the Tennessee and Memphis chapters of the NAACP.
In a previous statement to NBC News, xAI said its “operations comply with all applicable laws” and that it “works collaboratively with County and City officials, EPA personnel, and community leaders regarding all things that affect Memphis.”
xAI has come under scrutiny in recent months for operating methane gas turbines at its Memphis facility to meet the electricity needs of the supercomputer Colossus. The turbines emit pollutants, including nitrogen oxides and formaldehyde, according to their manufacturer.
Southern Environmental Law Center:
XAI, a company founded by Elon Musk, is evaluating a plan to install between 40 and 90 polluting methane gas turbines at its second South Memphis data center, according to documents obtained by the Southern Environmental Law Center. The discovery comes as Memphians continue to push back against the company’s use of unpermitted turbines at its first data center, also located in South Memphis.
Methane gas turbines release smog-forming pollution and hazardous chemicals like formaldehyde. These pollutants are tied to increases in asthma, respiratory diseases, heart problems, and certain cancers and are especially harmful to children. XAI’s second data center is planned for South Memphis’ Whitehaven neighborhood and is roughly half a mile from homes and a school.
“XAI appears to be preparing for a truly staggering number of polluting turbines for its second South Memphis data center, all while continuing to run unpermitted turbines nearby,” Amanda Garcia, a senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center, said. “Memphians have repeatedly told local leaders they have serious concerns about how these data centers and their use of gas turbines will impact the air they breathe every day. Local leaders and health officials should be standing with the communities they serve—not a power-hungry company with a history of breaking the rules.”