{"id":15608,"date":"2026-06-16T23:02:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T23:02:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=15608"},"modified":"2026-06-16T23:02:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T23:02:10","slug":"in-boost-to-musk-justice-department-seeks-to-dismiss-air-pollution-lawsuit-against-xai-data-center","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=15608","title":{"rendered":"In boost to Musk, Justice Department seeks to dismiss air pollution lawsuit against xAI data center"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

By MATTHEW DALY and BERNARD CONDON<\/strong><\/p>\n

WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 The Trump administration is helping one of Elon Musk\u2019s companies fight a civil rights lawsuit that alleges it is illegally running dozens of natural gas turbines to power a $20 billion data center in Mississippi.<\/p>\n

Read more USDA steps up screwworm monitoring as cases expand in Texas<\/a><\/p>\n

The NAACP and other groups say Musk\u2019s xAI subsidiary failed to get a permit for its power plant \u2014 which is located near homes, schools and churches \u2014 creating health risks for families in North Mississippi and nearby Memphis and violating the federal Clean Air Act.<\/p>\n

The Justice Department, in a motion late Monday, sought to intervene in the case and dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that the plant is needed to power an AI data center that is \u201ccritical to the economy\u201d and the U.S. military.<\/p>\n

The state of Mississippi \u2014 not the federal government \u2014 is responsible for any permits for the power plant and \u201cdecided no permit was required,\u201d the Justice Department said in a statement.<\/p>\n

\u201cUltimate responsibility for enforcing federal law belongs to the Executive Branch, not private interest groups,\u201d said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward, who is No. 3 at the Justice Department. The motion to intervene in the case is intended to protect national security and promote American energy and innovation, he added.<\/p>\n

The Trump administration has made AI a top national and economic security priority. It has also upended policies meant to address climate change and has worked to undo environmental regulations on business.<\/p>\n

Trump also has had close ties to Musk, who led his federal government cost-saving initiative, known as the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, early last year. Crowned the world\u2019s first trillionaire Friday when SpaceX went public, Musk financed Trump\u2019s presidential campaign more than any other donor and is pouring money into midterms.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

The Justice Department action comes just days after SpaceX, Musk\u2019s rocket company and the parent of defendant xAI, pulled off the biggest initial offering of stock ever, partly due to the Trump administration\u2019s help supplying it with billions of dollars in federal contracts. SpaceX has a total value of more than $2 trillion, making it bigger than Exxon Mobil, Bank of America and Coca-Cola combined.<\/p>\n

The NAACP lawsuit, filed in April, accuses xAI of running dozens of portable natural gas turbines without proper controls to limit emissions and without the permitting required by the Clean Air Act., which requires industrial polluters to obtain air permits before construction or operation.<\/p>\n

Read more Lawrence Tanter retiring after 43 seasons as Lakers\u2019 public address announcer<\/a><\/p>\n

The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday referred questions on the case to the Justice Department, saying it is not a party in the dispute.<\/p>\n

The Justice Department action was not about national security, but instead was a \u201cdesperate attempt to protect wealthy tech companies from obeying the laws meant to protect people from pollution,\u201d said Laura Thoms, director of enforcement for Earthjustice, an environmental law firm that represents the NAACP and Southern Environmental Law Center.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

\u201cTrump\u2019s Justice Department wants to shield Elon Musk\u2019s data center company, xAI, from being held accountable for its illegal pollution \u2014 and it\u2019s attempting to grab power from impacted communities, the courts and Congress to do so,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The data center and its pollution are \u201cturning our communities into sacrifice zones,\u201d Thoms added.<\/p>\n

Abre\u2019 Conner, the NAACP\u2019s director of environmental and climate justice, said the Clean Air Act was designed to hold polluters accountable for decisions that cause harm to communities. \u201cThis should not be up for debate, and the NAACP will continue to stand up for democracy and against federal bullying and authoritarianism,\u201d Conner said.<\/p>\n

The Justice Department, in a statement Tuesday, said the Pentagon is one of many federal agencies that use AI.<\/p>\n

\u201cOverly burdensome regulation, including private lawsuits that seek to implement their own environmental enforcement, can threaten technological growth, American energy independence and national security,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n

SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It has previously said that it is in full compliance with the law and takes its environmental responsibilities seriously.<\/p>\n

Read more FACT FOCUS: Trump says illegal immigration increased car insurance premiums. Experts say otherwise<\/a><\/p>\n

Condon reported from New York<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Justice Department is seeking to intervene in the case and dismiss the lawsuit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15607,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15608","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-based-on-facts-either-observed-and-verified-directly-by-the-reporter-or-reported-and-verified-from-knowledgeable-sources","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nIn boost to Musk, Justice Department seeks to dismiss air pollution lawsuit against xAI data center - Silicon Valley Moving Post<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=15608\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"In boost to Musk, Justice Department seeks to dismiss air pollution lawsuit against xAI data center - 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