DOJ seeks to dismiss air pollution – WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a motion to dismiss a civil rights lawsuit accusing Elon Musk’s xAI subsidiary of operating natural gas turbines without proper permits, which allegedly threaten public health in North Mississippi and neighboring Memphis. The case, initiated by the NAACP and other advocacy groups, centers on the company’s use of unregulated emissions from a $20 billion data center in the state. The DOJ’s intervention seeks to argue that the facility is essential for national economic and military needs, positioning itself as a guardian of federal priorities over local environmental concerns.

The lawsuit claims that xAI’s power plant, situated near residential areas, educational institutions, and places of worship, operates in violation of the Clean Air Act. Environmental advocates assert that the company bypassed regulatory requirements by deploying portable natural gas turbines without securing the necessary permits, thereby…