SpaceX gets assist from DOJ in effort to toss NAACP air pollution lawsuit

Nikolas Kokovlis | Nurphoto | Getty Images With SpaceX's stock rocketing during its first three days of trading, Elon Musk's company is getting an assist from the Department of Justice, which asked a federal court in Mississippi to toss a case against the company brought by the NAACP. The suit was filed in April by the NAACP, which claimed that xAI, Musk's artificial intelligence lab now owned by SpaceX, violated the federal Clean Air Act by using dozens of methane gas-burning turbines to power its AI data centers without proper permits or pollution controls. The turbines emit smog-forming pollutants and particulate matter that can lead to increased health risks and an unpleasant odor. The NAACP more recently asked the court to issue an injunction stopping xAI from using the turbines until a judge can make a decision. SpaceX's Colossus 1 and 2 data centers in and around Memphis, Tennessee, along with the power plants linked to those facilities, have faced protests for more than a year over issues including air pollution, electricity and water consumption and noise around the facilities. …