Appeal Filed To Challenge Air Permit For Southaven xAI Facility

Environmental groups have officially challenged an air permit granted to MZX Tech, an affiliate of xAI, for its Colossus 2 data center facility in Southaven, Mississippi. The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) filed the appeal on behalf of the NAACP, Young, Gifted & Green, and the Safe and Sound Coalition. The appeal targets the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality's (MDEQ) decision to allow MZX Tech to operate 41 methane gas turbines. SELC described these turbines as a "personal plant" intended to power the data center, warning they would be a major source of smog-forming pollution, endangering public health in North Mississippi and South Memphis. SELC stated the permit is flawed, violates the law, and was approved despite significant public opposition. Critics also pointed out that the permit hearing was held on Election Day with short notice, raising concerns about transparency. MDEQ attributed the permit timeline to xAI's schedule. Opposition groups, like the Safe and Sound Coalition, accused MDEQ of a "rushed" decision, failing to fully evaluate risks and ensure meaningful public involvement. Concerns were also raised about xAI's air pollution impact analysis, which SELC deemed "flawed," arguing the company failed to prove it would not negatively affect air quality. SELC further criticized the permit for lacking a crucial provision requiring xAI to obtain emission offsets to counteract the facility's pollution.