Written By Lexx Thornton
Local regulators should immediately stop Elon Musk’s supercomputer project from operating in South Memphis because it’s out of compliance with environmental rules, the NAACP wrote in a letter sent to Shelby County officials.
The civil rights group addressed the request to Dr. Michelle Taylor, director of the ShelbyCounty Health Department, and to the commissioners of Memphis Light Gas and Water. The health department is responsible for implementing federal air regulations inShelby County, which encompasses Memphis.
“Being the world’s richest man doesn’t give you the right to pollute Black communities and jeopardize the health of its residents,” NAACP president and CEO Derrick Johnson said in a statement to NBC News. “We urge the health department to step in immediately.
“When contacted, a spokesperson for Memphis Light Gas and Water said it had not received theNAACP letter and could not comment on it. Neither the health department nor xAI immediately responded to questions about the letter, which was also signed by the presidents of the Tennessee and Memphis chapters of the NAACP