Mississippi homeowners decry noisy data center plant: "I feel like I'm being tortured"
Residents in Southaven, Mississippi, are actively opposing a noisy data center plant powering xAI facilities, citing noise-induced health issues. Two separate lawsuits have been filed against xAI regarding the constant noise and alleged harmful environmental pollutants from the plant. The city's mayor has defended the facility, while residents maintain their concerns are non-political.
Residents of Southaven, Mississippi, including Taylor Logsdon, are experiencing significant disruptions due to a noisy power plant serving Elon Musk's xAI data centers in the Memphis area. Logsdon, a 31-year-old mother of three, described the constant hum as "torture" and reported sleepless nights, migraines, anxiety, and declining school grades for her children.
Logsdon, along with two other Southaven residents living within a mile of the plant, has filed a lawsuit against xAI. The suit alleges that the "near constant noise and vibrations" are causing negative physical and psychological health effects. Additionally, a separate lawsuit filed by the NAACP and other parties claims the Southaven plant's gas turbines are emitting "significant amounts of harmful pollutants."
Despite the community outcry, Southaven Mayor Darren Musselwhite has publicly defended the plant, suggesting in a January Facebook post that the opposition is politically motivated against Elon Musk. However, residents like Logsdon insist their concerns are solely about the disruptive noise and pollution, irrespective of who owns the facility.