Musk’s AI Plant: Memphis Environmental Racism Fight
By Darius Spearman (africanelements)
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In South Memphis, the hum of technological progress sounds like a constant roar. Residents of the historically Black Boxtown neighborhood say Elon Musk’s xAI supercomputer project has turned their community into a polluted industrial zone (sierraclub.org). The facility, known as “Colossus,” runs on powerful gas turbines that spew fumes and generate relentless noise near a predominantly Black community (capitalbnews.org). Consequently, lawyers and activists have accused the company of environmental racism. They argue the project forces heavy pollution onto a community already facing significant health challenges (bencrump.com). Now, neighbors are demanding that permits be revoked. They also want comprehensive health checks and a real say in whether this high-tech complex can remain in their backyard (sierraclub.org).
The Deep Roots of Environmental Racism
The conflict in Memphis is not a new story. It is the latest chapter in a long history of environmental racism in the United States (umich.edu). The environmental justice movement gained national attention in the late 1980s. This was spurred by reports showing that minority and low-income communities carried a much heavier burden of pollution (umich.edu). A key moment was the 1982 protest in Warren County, North Carolina. There, soil contaminated with toxic Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) was dumped in a mostly African American community despite massive opposition (ejhistory.com). PCBs are dangerous synthetic chemicals banned in 1979 because they are linked to cancer and other severe health problems (wikipedia.org).
This movement for justice grew from the American Civil Rights Movement, with protests against environmental hazards dating back to the 1960s (umich.edu). Historically, Black communities were systematically pushed into undesirable areas, often near industrial sites. These neighborhoods effectively became “sacrifice zones,” areas that bear a disproportionate burden of pollution from heavy industry for the economic benefit of others (apen4ej.org). For example, a landmark 1987 report, “Toxic Waste and Race,” found that race was the most significant factor in locating hazardous waste facilities across the country (climaterealityproject.org). This pattern of deliberate placement is a clear example of what can be understood as anti-Black politics in action.
A Legacy of Pollution in Memphis
Memphis has its own painful history with environmental injustice. The 1968 Memphis Sanitation Strike is remembered as a major civil rights event. It also highlighted the poor working conditions and environmental inequalities faced by Black sanitation workers (utm.edu). Furthermore, the city practiced “greenlining,” a discriminatory policy of using parks and infrastructure to block Black housing opportunities while allowing polluting factories to cluster in Black neighborhoods (sierraclub.org). This system ensured that certain communities were protected while others were exposed to harm.
Boxtown, the community now fighting the xAI plant, was established in 1863 by formerly enslaved people seeking self-determination (capitalbnews.org). Their struggle for freedom continued long after the Civil War. For decades, industrial polluters, including steel mills and oil refineries, have targeted the neighborhood (sierraclub.org). This has left a legacy of dirty air and high rates of illness. Consequently, the community’s distrust of industrial neighbors is deeply rooted in experience. This history also calls to mind the broader legacy of disregard for Black bodies, from dangerous working conditions to the gruesome history of medical experimentation on enslaved Black people.
The Tech Giant in Boxtown
The new industrial neighbor is Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI. Founded in July 2023, its stated mission is to “understand the true nature of the universe” by building advanced AI (ft.com). The centerpiece of its Memphis operation is the “Colossus” supercomputer. A supercomputer is an extremely powerful machine with thousands of processors working together to perform complex calculations (wikipedia.org). They are used for tasks like training AI models, which require massive amounts of energy. In fact, a facility like Colossus can consume as much electricity as a small town (wikipedia.org).
This supercomputer is being built to train Grok, xAI’s artificial intelligence chatbot (sierraclub.org). Grok is designed to answer questions and access real-time information with a unique, often humorous personality (medium.com). However, the energy needed to power such a massive system is immense. To meet this demand, xAI installed dozens of gas-powered turbines at a 550-acre former manufacturing plant in the heart of South Memphis (sierraclub.org). This decision placed a heavy industrial operation directly next to the residential community of Boxtown.
Demographics of the Affected Area
The xAI facility is located in a predominantly Black community, reflecting a historical pattern of industrial placement.
90%
Black Residents in
Boxtown
87%
Black Residents in
Memphis City (Southwest) PUMA
Source: Data from research ((sierraclub.org), (datausa.io)). PUMA stands for Public Use Microdata Area, a statistical region defined by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Pollution and Broken Promises
Residents began raising alarms in June 2024. They reported that xAI had started operating dozens of turbines powered by methane gas without proper air permits (selc.org). An air permit is a legal document required by the Clean Air Act that sets limits on the amount of pollution a facility can release (encolorconsulting.com). Operating without one means a company is emitting pollutants without any regulatory oversight. The permit application mentioned only 15 turbines, but aerial images suggested as many as 35 were on-site and running (selc.org).
Gas turbines generate electricity by burning fuel like natural gas, a process that releases several harmful pollutants (staxengineering.com). These include nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide, and formaldehyde, which contribute to smog and pose serious health risks (staxengineering.com). In response to the backlash, xAI claimed it plans to build the “lowest-emission facility in the United States” and touted its investment in local jobs and taxes (theweek.com). However, the company has not provided specific details on how it will achieve this goal, especially while using gas turbines. Residents remain deeply skeptical, insisting that economic benefits cannot justify sacrificing their health (sierraclub.org).
The Human Cost in South Memphis
The concentration of industry in South Memphis has already created severe health disparities. The cancer risk from air pollution in this area is four times the national average (capitalbnews.org). Memphis already has worse smog than 86% of major U.S. cities, and Shelby County received a failing grade for ozone pollution (sierraclub.org). Additionally, the xAI turbines are estimated to emit 1,200 to 2,000 tons of nitrogen oxides annually. This could make the facility the largest industrial source of smog-forming pollutants in the entire city (selc.org).
These pollutants have direct and dangerous health effects. Nitrogen oxides can cause coughing and breathing difficulty, and long-term exposure can lead to asthma and other respiratory diseases (kffhealthnews.org). Formaldehyde, another emission, is a known carcinogen linked to cancer (kffhealthnews.org). Tragically, these risks are being added to a community where health is already fragile. Shelby County has the highest rate of child hospitalizations for asthma in Tennessee, and the life expectancy in this part of Memphis is the lowest in the county (capitalbnews.org). These conditions are a direct outcome of policies that have failed Black communities since their initial quest for autonomy after the Civil War failed to end slavery in all its forms.
Stark Health Disparities in South Memphis
The community facing new pollution already carries a heavy health burden compared to national averages.
4x
Higher Cancer Risk from Air Pollution Than National Average
Highest Rate
in Tennessee for Childhood Asthma Hospitalizations
Lowest
Life Expectancy in Shelby County
Source: Data from research ((sierraclub.org), (capitalbnews.org), (capitalbnews.org)).
Legal Battles and Community Demands
In response to the unpermitted operations, the NAACP and the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) issued a 60-day notice of intent to sue xAI for violating the Clean Air Act (naacp.org). This federal law was created to control air pollution nationwide to protect public health and the environment (pbs.org). Despite widespread community objections, Memphis-area regulators at the Shelby County Health Department’s Air Pollution Control Bureau approved a permit for xAI to operate 15 of its turbines in July 2025 (eenews.net). This decision has left activists evaluating their next legal steps, which could include appealing the permit decision in court.
This situation highlights the limitations of federal protections. President Bill Clinton’s 1994 Executive Order 12898 directed federal agencies to address environmental justice, but it lacked strong enforcement power (richmond.edu). Consequently, polluting industries continue to target vulnerable communities. Now, the residents of Boxtown and their allies are demanding accountability. They want comprehensive health checks to assess the damage, a halt to the pollution, and a meaningful voice in the decisions that affect their lives and well-being (sierraclub.org). Their fight is a modern-day struggle for civil rights, demanding that their health and humanity be valued over corporate profits.
xAI’s Potential Pollution Footprint
The facility’s emissions could significantly worsen local air quality, which is already poor.
1,200 – 2,000 tons/year
Estimated Annual Emissions of Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)
Up to 79% Increase
in Nitrogen Dioxide Levels Reported Near the Data Center
Source: Data from research ((sierraclub.org), (selc.org)).
About the Author
Darius Spearman is a professor of Black Studies at San Diego City College, where he has been teaching for over 20 years. He is the founder of African Elements, a media platform dedicated to providing educational resources on the history and culture of the African diaspora. Through his work, Spearman aims to empower and educate by bringing historical context to contemporary issues affecting the Black community.
