"We are outraged. MDEQ chose to bulldoze through a decision that silenced the very residents most harmed by it. Since xAI fired up Colossus 2 last year, bringing in unpermitted turbines, residents have complained of noise and air quality issues."
"The scale, the speed, the intensity of this expansion are unlike anything this area has absorbed. This was not a thoughtful, phased development. It was an industrial surge imposed on our residential community."
"It's shocking that a state agency and board would refuse to address an unnecessary civic crisis, prioritizing convenience over justice."
xAI's artificial intelligence company obtained permission from Mississippi's environmental quality department to operate 41 methane gas turbines at its Colossus 2 datacenter in northern Mississippi, nearly doubling its current capacity. These turbines power the massive datacenters housing AI supercomputers that support Grok, xAI's primary product. The approval sparked substantial public backlash from residents and environmental advocates in Southaven, who report noise and air quality problems since the facility's launch. Hundreds attended a public hearing expressing opposition, with no speakers supporting the permit. Community leaders and the NAACP argue the decision prioritized corporate expansion over resident welfare, claiming the rapid industrial development was imposed without adequate community consideration or environmental safeguards.
#ai-infrastructure #environmental-pollution #community-opposition #energy-consumption #regulatory-approval
Read at www.theguardian.com
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