Elon Musk’s xAI Has Been Accused of Worsening the Smog Problem in Memphis

• Environment and health activists have accused Musk's company, xAI, of worsening the smog problem in Memphis, Tennessee.
• The company is allegedly using 18 natural gas burning turbines without a permit which is adding nitrogen oxides, a major air pollutant.
• The worst part is the energy requirements of the company are expected to grow in the future.

Elon Musk's AI startup xAI is being held responsible for worsening the smog problem in Memphis, Tennessee by using natural gas burning turbines at its new data center without a permit.

Tennessee businesses require a permit to operate such turbines. These permits usually impose a limit on emissions allowed, efficiency requirements, and mandate air quality tests. However, xAI somehow managed to skip all that.

The accusations started with the Southern Environmental Law Center writing a letter on behalf of many local groups to the local health department and regional Environmental Protection Agency office this week. The letter urges the authorities to look into the matter and take immediate action.

The letter also revealed that the company has installed around 18 gas combustion turbines over the last couple of months and plans to install more. Together these turbines can power at least 50,000 homes.

These turbines emit nitrogen oxides, a major air pollutant that's worsening the smog issue in Memphis, especially in Shelby County.

The air quality is so bad there that the American Lung Association has given it an F" grade in the State of the Air" rankings. As per reports these turbines could emit up to 130 tons of nitrogen oxides every year. If the condition is already so bad, imagine how disastrous xAI can make it with its continuous emissions.

Overexposure to nitrogen oxides causes tiredness, shortness of breath, nausea, irritation in one's eyes, nose, and throat, inflamed throat tissues and upper respiratory tract, and a lot more.

Amanda Garcia, a senior attorney with the Tennessee office of the Southern Environmental Law Center also added that xAI's non-transparency about its project has made matters worse. The people of Tennessee didn't even have much of a say in the project which is quite clearly affecting their lives.

Expected Increase In Energy Requirement

The advocates mentioned in the letter that xAI (just like any other AI company) requires an enormous amount of energy.

Even in the long term, when the company plans to switch to taking power from the local utility, Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW), and the Tennessee Valley Authority, a part of the problem will remain. Maybe then there won't be so much nitrogen oxide emission.

However, the MLGW has already been providing 50 megawatts of power to the company since the beginning of August but it requires an additional 100 megawatts.

This has forced the MLGW to add two more circuit breakers and improvise the transmission lines in the area to accommodate the extra power consumption. However, whenever there is overconsumption, there's always a risk of pollution among side effects and there's no concrete plan on how it'll be tackled.

Musk's History of Environmental Violations

This isn't the first time that Musk and his company have been accused of working without a permit or damaging natural resources.

• For instance, earlier this month SpaceX operated a water deluge and cooling system at its launch facility in Boca Chica, Texas which repeatedly discharged industrial wastewater without a permit, violating the Clean Water Act.
• His construction company, The Boring Company, was also fined by Texas environmental regulators for draining toxic industrial wastewater into the Colorado River in Bastrop, Texas. Once again, it neither had a permit nor the right pollution control equipment.
• In 2021, Tesla was also accused by a California air pollution regulator of using paint shop equipment that emitted hazardous air pollutants without any permit or review (which is mandated under the Clean Air Act).

Clearly, Musk doesn't pay much attention to the environmental laws and regulations in place. The same thing has happened at xAI too.

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