In April, the NAACP filed a lawsuit against xAI, claiming that the company had failed to obtain an air pollution permit for its Colossus Gas Plant. This plant powers the Colossus 2 data center, which in turn runs the AI chatbot Grok.
On Monday, the Justice Department requested the court to dismiss the case, arguing that the enforcement of the Clean Air Act is under the jurisdiction of the United States. The Trump administration emphasized the importance of Grok, stating that its functionality is crucial for national security. Grok is one of only four AI models capable of supporting national security applications and one of three that can manage mission-critical operations across classified networks.
The NAACP’s lawsuit highlights that the Colossus Gas Plant, which comprises 27 gas turbines, emits significant pollution. This pollution is associated with asthma, respiratory diseases, heart issues, and certain cancers. The lawsuit also points out that communities surrounding the plant have a predominantly high Black population.
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