Citizen Suit Enforcement/Clean Air Act: NAACP Seeks Preliminary Injunction for Southaven Mississippi (Colossus 2) Data Center
May 07, 2026
By:
Walter G. Wright
Category:
Arkansas Environmental, Energy, and Water Law
Arkansas Environmental, Energy, and Water Law
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The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (“NAACP”) filed a May 6th Motion for a Preliminary Injunction (“Motion”) in the United States District for the Northern District of Mississippi against xAI Corp. and MZX Tech LLC (collectively, “xAI”) requesting an injunction prohibiting operations which allege violations of the Clean Air Act. See Case No. 3:26-cv-00074-MPM-JMV.
NAACP in a previously filed complaint alleged that between August and December 2025 xAI installed and began operating 27 gas turbines (Colossus 2 data center) in Southaven, Mississippi.
The data center is stated to power the company’s chatbot “Grok.” It is alleged to have begun operating without an air permit.
Air emissions from the data center are alleged to include:
- Nitrogen oxides
- Formaldehyde
The Complaint further alleges that the 27 turbines have the potential to emit over 1,700 tons of NOx.
The NAACP asked that the United States District Court determine that xAI has violated the Clean Air Act and to require it to:
- Cease operating unpermitted turbines.
- Install best available control technology.
- Pay financial penalties.
The NAACP states in its Motion that only an injunction prohibiting operations can protect the community and prevent illegal harms as the Clean Air Act demands. It further alleges that the facility will cause imminent and irreparable harm each day it operates, disrupting the lives of community members and exposing them to illegal pollution. It states that the Court should enjoin the facility’s operation until xAI obtain the permits and implement the pollution controls that federal and state laws require.
A copy of the Brief in Support of NAACP’s Motion for a Preliminary Injunction can be found here.
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