NAACP announces plans to sue Elon Musk’s xAI over pollution concerns

The NAACP says current operations of the xAI supercomputer Colossus in Memphis violate the Clean Air Act and are worsening pollution in the area.

The NAACP announced Tuesday that it intends to bring a lawsuit under the Clean Air Act against Elon Musk’s startup xAI, which launched a supercomputer project in Memphis, Tennessee, last year. The company’s use of gas turbines to power the supercomputer, Colossus, runs afoul of environmental regulations and is worsening pollution in the area, the Southern Environmental Law Center, which represents the NAACP, wrote in a letter to xAI.

The turbines emit nitrogen oxides, a key contributor to smog, and formaldehyde, among other pollutants, according to their manufacturer.

Last month, the NAACP called for an emergency order to shut down the supercomputer until a permit is obtained. Tuesday’s announcement was a further escalation, with the organization notifying the company, as required by law, of its intent to sue unless the company addresses the alleged violations.

“We cannot afford to normalize this kind of environmental injustice — where billion-dollar companies set up polluting operations in Black neighborhoods without any permits and think they’ll get away with it because the people don’t have the power to fight back,” NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said in a statement. “We will not allow xAI to get away with this.”

The Southern Environmental Law Center argues that xAI was required to have a permit before bringing the turbines onsite.