Judge allows NAACP lawsuit over xAI data center pollution to move forward
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.
一位联邦法官驳回了 xAI 试图驳回 NAACP 诉讼的动议。该诉讼指控这家 SpaceX 旗下的公司未能获得运营其位于孟菲斯郊外 Colossus 数据中心燃气轮机所需的许可证。
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.
南方环境法律中心代表 NAACP 提起诉讼，称这家人工智能公司“在 Colossus 现场安装并运营了至少 35 台燃烧涡轮机和其他空气污染源，且从未获得必要的施工前或运营空气许可证。”该组织还指控 xAI 违反了《清洁空气法》。
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.
xAI 试图驳回该诉讼，声称这些涡轮机因具有移动性而免于许可要求。该公司还辩称，原告没有起诉的资格。
“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.
德布拉·M·布朗法官在裁决书中写道：“由于原告根据《清洁空气法》拥有法定资格，由于燃烧涡轮机在密西西比州的[州实施计划]下不属于‘移动源’，且公民诉讼条款并未违反宪法第二条或私人不授权原则，原告的诉讼请求将继续进行。”
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.”
针对 xAI 关于此类公民诉讼违宪的主张，布朗法官写道：“由于公民诉讼的原告是以自己的名义、代表自己提起诉讼，并寻求赔偿以弥补自身受到的损害，他们并未行使联邦政府的行政权力。”
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)
TechCrunch 已联系 SpaceX 请求置评。NAACP 环境与气候正义主任阿布雷·康纳在一份声明中称，这是“我们努力让 xAI 承担责任的又一次重要胜利”。（司法部此前在本月早些时候提出的类似驳回动议已被拒绝。）
“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.”
康纳表示：“法院一再驳回 xAI 和司法部试图撤销 NAACP《清洁空气法》案件的企图，确认了我们为受污染影响的社区寻求正义的权利。我们的立场很明确：xAI 在没有获得所需许可证的情况下不得运营燃气轮机。”
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.
随着公众舆论似乎对数据中心产生了强烈的抵触情绪，NAACP 的诉讼正在推进。纽约州最近通过了对新数据中心的暂停令，其他州和地方政府也在考虑采取类似措施。
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.
这种反弹还促使亚马逊和微软承诺在与政府机构打交道时停止使用保密协议（NDA），这可能会成为即将到来的美国中期选举中的一个重要因素。