The Justice Department has moved to intervene in a lawsuit against xAI, a subsidiary of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, over allegations of air pollution from its data center in Mississippi. The lawsuit, filed by the NAACP and other groups, claims that xAI’s power plant is operating without proper permits and is creating health risks for local families.

Background

The data center, which is located near homes, schools, and churches, is powered by dozens of natural gas turbines. The NAACP and other groups argue that the plant is violating the federal Clean Air Act and is putting the health of local residents at risk. The Justice Department, however, claims that the plant is necessary to power an AI data center that is critical to the economy and national security.

The Justice Department’s motion to intervene in the case is seen as a boost to Musk and his companies. The Trump administration has been supportive of Musk’s businesses, and has worked to undo environmental regulations that could impact his companies. The Justice Department’s action is also seen as an attempt to limit the power of private groups to enforce environmental laws.

Response from the NAACP

The NAACP has criticized the Justice Department’s move, saying that it is an attempt to protect wealthy tech companies from being held accountable for their actions. The group’s director of environmental and climate justice, Abre’ Conner, said that the Clean Air Act was designed to hold polluters accountable and that the Justice Department’s action is an attack on democracy and the rights of communities to protect themselves from pollution.

Original reporting: 40/29 / KHBS (NW Arkansas) — read the source article.