Southaven residents sue Elon Musk’s xAI alleging harm from gas turbines
Southaven residents have filed a class action lawsuit against Elon Musk's xAI and its subsidiary MZX Tech, alleging harm from noise and vibrations caused by gas-powered turbines. The lawsuit claims a negative impact on quality of life and property values, building on an earlier lawsuit by the NAACP regarding environmental permits for the turbines powering xAI's data centers.
Southaven residents have filed a class-action lawsuit in federal court against Elon Musk's xAI and its subsidiary, MZX Tech, alleging significant harm from mobile gas-powered turbines at the company's facility. The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday, claims residents have endured "near-constant noise, vibrations, and other nuisance-level harms" since mid-2023, impacting their quality of life and property values.
This legal action follows an earlier lawsuit brought by the NAACP, represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center, which claims xAI is operating without proper environmental permits. While Mississippi allows temporary turbines to operate for a year without an air permit, the plaintiffs contend xAI's operations violate the federal Clean Air Act. The number of turbines at the site has reportedly grown to 47 from 18 last year, despite resident complaints and the construction of a sound barrier that residents say has been ineffective.
Initially, xAI acquired a vacant power plant in Southaven to power its data centers in Memphis, but has since announced a $20 billion investment to construct a data center in Mississippi. The lawsuit coincides with the anticipated public offering of xAI's parent company, SpaceX, on June 12.