The NAACP is looking on native officers to halt operations at Colossus, the “supercomputer” facility operated by Elon Musk’s xAI in South Memphis.
As reported in NBC Information, leaders from the civil rights group despatched a letter Thursday to the Shelby County Well being Division and Memphis Mild Fuel and Water criticizing the organizations’ “lackadaisical strategy to the operation of this soiled knowledge heart” and calling on them to “problem an emergency order for xAI to cease operations fully” — or if there’s no order, to at the very least cite and cease the corporate from allegedly violating clear air legal guidelines.
The letter expressed explicit considerations across the gasoline generators that xAI runs to energy Colossus. The corporate has utilized for a allow to proceed working 15 gasoline generators on the facility, though the NAACP mentioned authorities have “allowed xAI to function at the very least 35 gasoline generators with none allowing” over the previous yr. Metropolis officers have beforehand mentioned xAI didn’t want permits for the generators’ first yr of use.
These generators reportedly emit hazardous air pollution, together with formaldehyde, at ranges exceeding EPA limits. The NAACP’s letter additionally pointed to the generators’ nitrogen-oxide emissions.
Noting that the Colossus facility is situated close to South Memphis’ Boxtown neighborhood, which the letter described as a “traditionally Black neighborhood,” the NAACP mentioned the placement perpetuates “the development of industries including air pollution to communities who don’t trigger the issue.”
“As an alternative of [the Shelby County Health Department] working to scale back well being points identified within the space together with that most cancers dangers are already 4 instances the nationwide common, it has allowed xAI to function above the legislation,” the NAACP added.
The NAACP’s letter is addressed to Shelby County Well being Division Director Michelle Taylor, in addition to Memphis Mild Fuel and Water’s commissioners; Taylor is leaving her position in Shelby County to turn into the commissioner of the Baltimore Metropolis Well being Division.
TechCrunch has reached out to the NAACP and xAI for remark. A spokesperson for Memphis Mild Fuel and Water instructed NBC Information that it had not but obtained the NAACP letter.
