Elon Musk’s Xai is subject to scrutiny in Memphis, where the natural gas turbine running the Colossus Data Center is causing vigilance among residents concerned about air pollution.
On Tuesday, the city of Memphis released the results of a third-party initial air quality test, saying the levels of the 10 pollutants they tested were not dangerous. However, the Southern Environmental Law Centre (SELC), which threatens to sue Xai on behalf of the NAACP, said ozone, a key pollutant, also known as smog, was omitted in the test.
“It is unclear why the city does not test this harmful contaminant,” SELC said in a statement.
The test took place on June 13th and 16th at three locations in Downtown Memphis, Whitehaven and Boxtown areas. The nearest site, Boxtown, is 2 miles east-southeast of Xai. The sampling instrument was run for 10-13 hours.
On the date of the test, the wind rarely carried contaminants to the location. On June 13th, Memphis winds came out from the south and southwest. On June 16th, they left the south. The only place northwest of Xai is downtown.
Formaldehyde was detected there but was within urban expectations. The city hall where the sample was taken is just 8 miles from the Xai data center.
SELC had problems with how the tests were conducted. In addition to ozone omission, the testing company placed the monitors in Boxtown and Whitehaven directly in the building.
The EPA recommends that air sensors “away from blockages, vegetation, or emissions that interfere with readings, at least six feet above ground level, rooftop, or other objects.”
