Trump admin tries to block Clean Air Act lawsuit over xAI’s gas turbines
The NAACP has sued xAI for Clean Air Act violations, alleging the company operates unpermitted gas turbines for its Grok data center in Southaven, Mississippi. The US Department of Justice has intervened, urging the federal court to dismiss the lawsuit, citing national security implications and the importance of xAI's AI services for military operations. The Southern Environmental Law Center, representing the NAACP, contends that the DOJ's argument allows illegal pollution.
The NAACP has filed a Clean Air Act lawsuit against Elon Musk's xAI Corp. and its subsidiary MZX Tech, alleging that they are operating 27, later increasing to 57, unpermitted gas turbines to power xAI's Colossus 2 data center, which supports the Grok chatbot, in Southaven, Mississippi. The lawsuit claims these turbines are causing unlawful pollution, noise, and health risks to local residents, particularly Black communities.
The Trump administration, through the US Department of Justice, has intervened, urging a federal judge to dismiss the NAACP's case. The DOJ argues that the lawsuit threatens "artificial-intelligence innovation" and "national security," citing the Grok Gov Model's use in military operations like Operation Epic Fury. Cameron Stanley, Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer for the Department of War, declared that Grok aided targeted strikes in Iran.
The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), representing the NAACP, criticized the DOJ's stance, asserting that it condones illegal pollution and undermines the citizen-suit provision of the Clean Air Act, which acts as a crucial safeguard against unaccountable polluters. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves' office stated that the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality approved permits for permanent gas turbines in March 2026 and authorized temporary, trailer-mounted turbines, which the department deemed "mobile sources" not subject to Clean Air Act permitting requirements. The NAACP, however, maintains that all turbines required permits and pollution control technology from the outset. The case is proceeding in the US District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi, with the NAACP seeking a permanent injunction and civil penalties.