NAACP accuses Elon Musk’s xAI facility of environmental violations and requests officials in South Memphis shut down the data center, which runs the Colossus supercomputer.
Citing violations of local environmental codes, the NAACP has called on authorities in South Memphis, Tennessee to halt operations at Elon Musk’s xAI data center, which operates the supercomputer Colossus.
In a letter to the Shelby County Health Department and Memphis Light Gas and Water (MLGW), the civil rights group expressed concern over xAI’s handling of the facility. The group criticized the company for its alleged lack of due diligence in operating the facility, describing it as a “dirty data center.” Emissions from gas turbines
Specifically, the letter highlighted not having the required permits to operate 35 gas turbines that power Colossus. The turbines are said to emit significant amounts of nitrogen oxide, with emissions estimated to range from 1,200 to 2,000 tons annually, according to the NAACP’s letter.
