法官驳回撤案动议，NAACP 起诉 xAI 数据中心污染案获准推进
Judge allows NAACP lawsuit over xAI data center pollution to move forward
- 1联邦法官驳回 xAI 撤案动议，NAACP 控告其数据中心污染的诉讼将继续推进。
- 2环保组织指控 xAI 在 Colossus 场地安装运营至少 35 台燃烧轮机且未取得空气许可，涉嫌违反《清洁空气法》。
- 3法官认定轮机不属移动源、原告具起诉资格，xAI 的豁免许可与质疑原告资格两项主张均未获支持。
- 4诉讼推进正值舆论转向反对数据中心，纽约州已通过新建数据中心禁令，亚马逊和微软承诺不再对政府机构交易使用保密协议。
AI 数据中心扩张正遭遇环境合规司法约束，法院支持公民诉讼推进，社区环保问责开始成为算力基础设施运营的实际法律成本。
- 影响：自建或租用算力的企业面临供应链连带合规风险，供应商选址与供电设备许可状态需要重新核查；地方政策趋紧后，扩容窗口与成本假设都可能随之改变。
- 参考：可考虑核查现有算力供应商的环评与许可记录；值得在数据中心选址或续约决策前，把地方环保诉讼和政策动向纳入风险评估清单。
- 依据：法院书面裁定原告依《清洁空气法》具起诉资格且轮机不属移动源；NAACP 表态为当事方口径，xAI 未回应置评请求。
A federal judge denied a motion by xAI seeking to dismiss an NAACP lawsuit accusing the SpaceX-owned company of failing to obtain permits needed to operate the gas turbines powering its Colossus data center outside Memphis.
Suing on behalf of the NAACP, the Southern Environmental Law Center said the AI company had “installed and operated at least 35 combustion turbines and other sources of air pollution at the Colossus site without ever obtaining the necessary preconstruction or operating air permits.” It also accused xAI of violating the Clean Air Act.
xAI sought to have the lawsuit dismissed, claiming that the turbines are exempt from permitting requirements because they’re mobile. The company also argued that the plaintiffs did not have the standing to sue.
“Because the plaintiffs have statutory standing under the Clean Air Act, because the combustion turbines are not ‘mobile sources’ under Mississippi’s [State Implementation Plan], and because the citizen suit provision does not violate Article II of the Constitution or the private nondelegation doctrine, the plaintiffs’ claims will proceed,” Judge Debra M. Brown wrote in her decision.
Focusing on xAI’s claim that these kinds of citizen lawsuits are unconstitutional, Judge Brown wrote, “Because citizen suit plaintiffs sue on their own behalf, in their own name, and seek penalties that redress harm to themselves, they are not exercising the federal government’s executive power.”
TechCrunch has reached out to SpaceX for comment.
In a statement, the NAACP’s director of environmental and climate justice Abre’ Connor described this as “another important victory in our effort to hold xAI accountable.” (A similar motion to dismiss from the Department of Justice was denied earlier this month)
“The courts have repeatedly rejected attempts by xAI and the DOJ to dismiss the NAACP’s Clean Air Act case, affirming our right to pursue justice for communities impacted by pollution,” Connor said. “Our position has been clear: xAI cannot operate gas turbines without the required permits.”
The NAACP lawsuit is moving forward as public opinion seems to have turned sharply against data centers, with New York recently passing a moratorium on new data centers and other state and local governments considering similar measures.
The backlash also prompted Amazon and Microsoft to promise to stop using NDAs in their dealings with government agencies, and it could be a significant factor in the imminent U.S. midterm elections.
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来源：TechCrunch · AI · techcrunch.com