SOUTHAVEN, Miss. — Calls to prevent Elon Musk’s xAI project from moving forward in Memphis are intensifying on Monday.

Community leaders have come together to establish what they call a fight for our lives.

State Rep. Justin J. Pearson and NAACP chapters in Tennessee and Mississippi held a press conference, asking Memphis and Shelby County leaders, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency, to deny xAI’s current and future air permit applications to operate methane gas turbines.

According to the Tennessee House of Representatives, this comes in response to reports that xAI is considering installing 45-90 turbines at its second site.

“The paltry money xAI has dangled in front of our short-sighted leaders is not worth the cost of breathing dirty, and in some cases, deadly air,” said Pearson.

Leaders from multiple organizations across the Mid-South came together to show their disapproval of xAI and its plans for further development and growth. A large shared argument across all voices was the company’s potential effect on the environment, noting how the many turbines used by the company could lead to poor air quality in the area.

“We breathe air, we shouldn’t be fighting for clean air,” said Kermit Moore, President of the Memphis NAACP. “Clean air is a human right, and we got folks that wanna buy our right by passing out a few dollars in our community… We will fight xAI until we win.”

Community organiser Richard Massey says he believes xAI has done “everything in its power to mislead and deceive Memphis’ most vulnerable,” and called the company the single largest polluter in the city.

“This company is suffocating South Memphis’ children. This is a generational and seemingly endless slow killing of our neighbors,” said Massey.

According to the Tennessee Department of Health, nearly 90,000 children aged 0 – 17 have asthma. Pearson believes emergency rooms across Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas could see a patient influx.

“It’s about to be summertime. Smog is going to be at its highest during the summer. And so we’re going to see more people triggered with respiratory illnesses,” he said.

When asked about comments made by Memphis Mayor Paul Young regarding his possible intentions to “exploit xAI” for the good of the Memphis community, Rep. Pearson called the comments “ignorant” and stated that “Mayor Young should know better.”

Young said in a recent interview with NewsNation, “It’s up to me to figure out how do we exploit this opportunity for our good… We’re looking at a project that was in a vacant building, that sat vacant for many years after Electrolux left, in an industrial area that’s two-and-a-half miles from any home … there are some conditions in that community that require an investment.”

“How can you exploit the exploiter?” Pearson questioned in response. “That’s stupid, silly talking points. And he needs to talk to people who know better and people who are proximate. And I’m tired, I’m exhausted that he’s ignoring the people that I represent, that he represents.”

Pearson also called Young out on not putting xAI’s proposed tax revenue increase in his budget.

“We’re being exploited for money that don’t even exist,” said Pearson. “About the possibility of money coming into our community.”

The project is expected to contribute $15 million to $20 million in local property taxes annually.

“When we look at this project, my goal is to make sure we’re protecting the community against the environmental concerns, but also using that money to elevate a community that is desperately in need of investment,” said Young in the previous interview.

Mississippi Democratic Party Chairman Cheikh Taylor says we cannot put profit before people, calling the move domestic terrorism.

“Politics is local. So if we don’t stand up as a people, then these things are actually considered to be agreed upon and that we are complicit,” Taylor said.

On the turbines, Young says xAI has 365 days to get permits for those turbines.

“The concern is a temporary concern, and we believe that long term, the billions of dollars that are being invested are going to make a significant difference in addressing the major issues that we have in our community,” he said.

At a previous press conference, Pearson was demanding answers from the Shelby County Health Department’s director, Dr. Michelle Taylor, as well as Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris, who has previously shown support for the project.

“Director Taylor sits on the board on air pollution here. The local implementation plan gives her power to go to xAI right now and tell them to stop polluting. Right now,” Pearson said.

The press conference drew a counter-response from state Rep. John Gillespie (R-Memphis), who pointed out that the xAI site is in an industrial park, not a neighborhood, and represents a multibillion investment by the company in Memphis and Shelby County.

“It is the largest private investment in Tennessee history and has already created hundreds of high-paying jobs for Memphians, placing Memphis at the global forefront of technology leadership,” Gillespie wrote on Facebook. “Sadly, some politicians want to make xAI about race to push their own agenda—an agenda focused on division.”

Dr. Taylor is leaving her role with the health department come August. At this time, it’s not clear who will replace her or if that person will support this project.

It was stated in the press conference that Memphis Light, Gas, and Water is “putting profit before people,” but MLGW says this is not the case.

In a statement, the company said, “MLGW takes seriously its obligation to ensure the reliability and availability of the utilities we provide for our existing customers before we allow any new customers to connect to the system, and we have a thorough process to make this determination. When a customer is seeking a “large electric load,” which we define as 5MW or higher, MLGW and TVA both require a system impact study, which is paid for by the requesting party. This is a rigorous engineering process dictated and enforced by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, ensuring that the new connection will not adversely impact on the nation’s Bulk Electric System. In other words, we do not, and cannot, let the connection of a new customer impact on the reliability or availability of utilities that our current customers enjoy.”

The Shelby County Health Department says it is currently reviewing the air permit application submitted by xAI for 15 gas turbines, and are analyzing nearly 1,700 comments received about the permit application.

Monday’s press conference with Pearson was held at Springfield Baptist Church on Highway 51 in Southaven.