The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) and the NAACP, along with Young, Gifted & Green, have taken legal action against the Shelby County Health Department by filing an appeal with the Memphis and Shelby County Air Pollution Control Board over the recent permission granted to tech giant xAI. The contention revolves around the company's plan to operate 15 natural gas-fired combustion turbines at its South Memphis data center, a permit for which was issued on July 2, as reported by Action News 5.
The appeal highlights concerns over potential violations of both federal and local regulations, with the health department alleged to have overlooked illicit installations of 35 unpermitted turbines at the xAI facility over the past year, including public comments that were bypassed, the Appeal by SELC suggests the health department not only neglected federal law but disregarded its own regulations and that its actions could spell precedent for lax oversight in the future, leading to unapproved pollution, Amanda Garcia, SELC Senior Attorney, said in an interview with Local Memphis, “The Shelby County Health Department’s decision to grant this permit not only violates federal law, it goes against the department’s own regulations,” emphasizing the lack of accountability for xAI's action.
Adding to the outcry, LaTricea Adams, CEO and President of Young, Gifted & Green, called out environmental injustices faced by Black communities mentioning history, traced with pollution and systemic redlining, she stressed in a statement obtained by the SELC, “As a Black woman born and raised in Memphis, I know firsthand how industry harms Black communities while those in power cower away from justice.” NAACP Director of Environmental Justice Abre’ Conner echoed this sentiment, urging the health department to prioritize community health above corporate gains.
Methane gas turbines, which are under scrutiny, are linked to noxious emissions that may heighten risks for asthma, heart problems, and cancer in nearby residents, Shelby County's decision to ignore these already functioning turbines improperly labeled the data center as a minor source of pollution instead of as a major modification, this misclassification lets xAI to skirt crucial oversight measures that would offer greater protection for adjacent neighborhoods, as highlighted by NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson who told SELC that communities' safety should not be compromised for the profits of xAI or any other corporation.
