Lawsuit over unpermitted gas turbines at xAI data center tests US clean air enforcement
A lawsuit over unpermitted gas turbines powering an xAI data center in Southaven, Mississippi, has become a test of federal authority over clean air laws. The US Department of Justice has intervened, arguing that national security allows the turbines and that local communities cannot sue over resulting pollution, a stance opposed by environmental groups like the NAACP and former EPA officials. The turbines, which have the potential to emit 5,300 tons per year of smog-forming nitrogen oxide, were installed without an air permit.
