Data center suit’s dismissal sought
The Justice Department is seeking to dismiss a civil rights lawsuit filed against Elon Musk's xAI over its operation of a $20 billion AI data center in Mississippi. The NAACP and other groups allege xAI is illegally running natural gas turbines without proper permits, causing health risks and violating the Clean Air Act, while the Justice Department contends the plant is vital for national security and the economy.
In a significant legal development, the Trump administration, through the Justice Department, is actively seeking the dismissal of a civil rights lawsuit targeting Elon Musk's xAI.
The lawsuit, filed by the NAACP and other environmental organizations in April, alleges that xAI's $20 billion AI data center in Mississippi is operating dozens of natural gas turbines illegally, without the necessary permits, thereby causing significant health risks to communities in North Mississippi and nearby Memphis and violating the federal Clean Air Act.
The Justice Department filed a motion to intervene in the case on Monday, arguing that the power plant supporting the AI data center is "critical to the economy" and essential for the U.S. military, making its operation a matter of national security. Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward stated that enforcing federal law ultimately rests with the Executive Branch, not private groups, and that the state of Mississippi had already determined no permit was required for the plant.
Environmental advocates, including Laura Thoms of Earthjustice and Abre' Conner of the NAACP, sharply criticized the Justice Department's intervention, calling it a "desperate attempt to protect wealthy tech companies from obeying the laws meant to protect people from pollution." They contend that the Clean Air Act is designed to hold polluters accountable and that the administration's actions undermine democratic processes. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves, however, supported xAI, stating that the project represents the largest private investment in the state's history, creating thousands of jobs and ensuring stable electricity rates in line with the Trump administration's Ratepayer Protection Pledge.