Mayor Paul Young Debuts XAI Project Concerns in First State Leader Meeting

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Tuesday morning, several Tennessee State representatives met with City of Memphis Mayor Paul Young to address concerns over xAI.

Young asked Representatives Justin J. Pearson, G.A. Hardaway, Torrey Harris, and Joe Towns to have the meeting.

Following that, Pearson spoke during a press conference outside city hall, saying clean air is a right.

Pearson also said this was the first time Young had invited him and other representatives to the city hall for a discussion on the topic.

“How xAI has been operating with a lack of transparency, how they continue to operate the turbines they have had without even using the best technology possible, is wrong. It’s immoral,” said Pearson.

“They operated and constructed these without the input of the community, and we, and he as the mayor, have to use the power and authority that he has,” Pearson continued. “Not as it relates to permitting, but how it relates to bringing corporations and people to the City of Memphis to use his power to demand the best for the people.”

Pearson said people in 38109 want to see investment.

“We have not had investment in our community in decades, and it has led to a lot of problems, including dealing with issues of potholes. Including dealing with housing insecurities and problems that we have,” he explained.

However, Pearson said he doesn’t want investment at the sacrifice of lives.

“Our city and our county have been in non-attainment, as it relates to smog, for over three years. We have an ‘F’ in air quality. We’ve been labeled the asthma capitol of the United States of America. We have the highest number of children with asthma hospitalizations in the State of Tennessee,” said Pearson.

Pearson said xAI’s operation violates the Clean Air Act, which he says is supposed to be implemented by the Shelby County Health Department and Mayor Lee Harris.

“Silent and invisible, Lee Harris has not spoken out so much, and we are still demanding that the Shelby County Health Department deny xAI’s permit because we cannot increase the amount of pollution in our environment. We cannot afford it,” said Pearson.

RELATED — Shelby County mayor says he has no concerns about xAI project

City of Memphis Mayor Paul Young said the purpose of the meeting was to share with state leaders what is happening with the project.

“I feel like there’s been quite a bit of disinformation that’s been out there. A lot of misunderstandings around what the city’s role is in the process,” said Young.

Young said the city has been working hard to understand the data that exists and find a way to bring in more data.

He said they have been working with the University of Memphis to find out how much pollution will be added with the 15 permanent turbines, in terms of emissions to the community.

“Based on this preliminary data, is that it’s a minimal amount added by this specific project. Where we’re still looking to go, in terms of data and information, is what is the actual baseline in the Boxtown community? Because the air quality monitoring stations we do have access to are located in downtown, over off Appling and at Shelby Farms,” said Young.

Young said he wants to make sure the people of Memphis are protected and that the city uses this project to boost the economy.

Young also mentioned a first-of-its-kind ordinance that looks at using tax revenue dollars from the project and investing them back into the community within a five-mile radius of the project.

“Expenditures in the area that is within five miles of the property. Those dollars can be spent on home repairs, which is desperately needed in a community where 50% of the properties were built before 1960. We know where lead poisoning is a major challenge, where indoor air quality is a major challenge. Those home repairs are going to allow those residents to be able to have healthier lives as a result,” said Young.

The mayor said that as this process continues, he wants to keep having conversations with state leaders and the community.

According to the Shelby County Health Department, it is currently reviewing the air permit application submitted by xAI for a synthetic minor source under the state regulations and the Clean Air Act.

RELATED — Memphis xAI datacenter nearly doubles its gas turbines ‘without any permit,’ SELC says

The health department said the review is being conducted in coordination with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 4 office.

The department also confirmed that the initial permit request for 15 gas turbines is the only one that has been submitted on behalf of xAI.

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