Memphis residents fight xAI expansion over pollution, health fears

Elon Musk's AI company is facing scrutiny in Memphis over how it's powering a new supercomputing facility

XAI moved into a repurposed factory near the Boxtown neighborhood last year

The company calls the site Colossus and says it's the most powerful AI system in the world

But powering it takes more than just ambition. To keep it running, XAI installed dozens of methane-burning gas turbines

most of them before obtaining air permits. Environmental groups say satellite and thermal

images showed 33 of 35 turbines were active as of April. Only 15 are up for permitting

The rest were removed or put in storage. ysts say those turbines emit pollutants linked to asthma

lung damage and cancer. And this isn't just any neighborhood. Boxtown, a historically black and

heavily industrialized area, has been described by public health advocates as having Tennessee's

highest child asthma hospitalization rate and a cancer risk four times the national average At a public hearing last month residents packed the room demanding transparency and clean air The county health department says it received more than 1 public comments

and is reviewing the permits over the next 60 days. Meanwhile, XAI is expanding

The company just bought a second nearby property and plans to build a 1 million square foot facility

There's also talk of moving some turbines across the state line into Mississippi

Memphis Mayor Paul Young backs a project citing tech jobs and tax revenue

But local advocates say those jobs aren't reaching their communities and that the health costs may outweigh the benefits

XAI hasn't responded to questions about emissions or regulatory concerns. At the federal level, oversight is limited

The Trump administration has rolled back more than a dozen pollution rules and ended environmental justice programs

The EPA hasn't commented on the Memphis site. State Representative Justin Pearson, who lives nearby, says he didn't even know about the turbines until they were in place

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