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DOJ intervenes to back Elon Musk in datacenter pollution lawsuit

techJun 17, 2026221,374

The U.S. Department of Justice asked a federal court to throw out a lawsuit against Elon Musk's AI company xAI, backing Musk and citing national-security concerns. The suit, brought by the NAACP and residents, alleges xAI datacenters in north Mississippi run polluting gas turbines that have harmed nearby neighborhoods. The DOJ argued the datacenters support AI systems tied to national-security functions and urged dismissal on executive-power grounds. If the court accepts that argument, it could bar citizens from using environmental laws to challenge infrastructure the government deems security-critical, creating a broader precedent.

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