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A family’s two-acre property in Southaven, Mississippi, has sat mostly empty since Krystal Polk and her relatives left, according to CBS News. Polk says the persistent roar of a nearby power plant—reported to supply data centers in the Memphis area—made the property difficult to live on. The family’s account describes a loss of use and uncertainty, not a legal eviction or a completed sale to the company.
Why Polk’s family left its Southaven property
CBS News reports that Polk’s family held the two-acre property for four generations. It was a place for family gatherings and growing food, and Polk had hoped to return in retirement and eventually pass it to her children.
Polk described the plant noise as relentless: “It’s like you’re in the middle of the airport where the planes are taking off, but they never take off.” CBS News reports that the family left because of the persistent noise and that the land has remained mostly empty since. Her comparison conveys her experience; it is not a technical measurement of sound levels.
Polk also raised concerns about fumes from the turbines. Those are residents’ reported concerns, not a medical finding that the facility caused a particular illness. The available reporting does not establish a specific health effect for Polk or her family.
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What is being built near the property
Mississippi’s governor’s office announced on January 8, 2026, that xAI was locating a data center called MACROHARDRR in Southaven, near the company’s power-plant site and its existing Tennessee data center. The state described the project as a corporate investment exceeding $20 billion and said operations were expected to begin in February 2026. Those were the state’s announcement and projections, not confirmation here of the project’s eventual operating date or total realized investment.
CBS News reports that the power plant across the street from the Polk property supplies data centers in the Memphis region. In its July 30, 2026 update, xAI described two parts of its power plan:
- Temporary turbines: xAI said an agreed order with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) sets a deadline to remove all 69 temporary turbines by July 2027.
- Permanent plant: xAI said a 1.2-gigawatt plant with 41 turbines was under construction under a Clean Air Act permit granted in March 2026.
CBS News reports that MDEQ said the permitting process required MZX Tech to demonstrate that the proposed facility would not violate air-quality standards. Statements from xAI about compliance and monitoring remain the company’s account; they are not, on their own, an independent assessment of the plant’s effects.
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What the lawsuit alleges—and what has not been decided
On April 14, 2026, the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), which represents the plaintiffs, announced that the NAACP and the Mississippi State Conference of the NAACP had sued xAI and MZX Tech. The lawsuit alleges that the companies operated gas turbines without required permits, in violation of the Clean Air Act. An allegation in a lawsuit is not a court finding.
SELC estimated the turbines could produce annual emissions of more than 1,700 tons of nitrogen oxides, up to 180 tons of fine particulate matter, 500 tons of carbon monoxide, and 19 tons of formaldehyde. These are plaintiffs’ estimates of potential emissions—not measured emissions or figures established by a court.
SELC also commissioned an EmPower Analytics Group study that projected the proposed turbine plan would increase local air pollution, with pollution concentrated in disproportionately Black communities. Because SELC is counsel for the plaintiffs and commissioned the study, the projection should be understood in that litigation context rather than as a regulatory finding.
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On June 15, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a motion seeking to intervene in the case and dismiss it. That filing presents the government’s position and asks the court for relief; it is not a ruling. The available reporting does not establish whether the court has granted the motion or resolved the underlying case.
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Polk’s account of a possible land sale
CBS News reports that Polk said Cushman & Wakefield Commercial Advisors approached her about the property. In a response to CBS, the firm said it was exploring an acquisition for an unidentified client and denied using harassment or pressure tactics. Polk alleged pressure in a Better Business Bureau complaint.
Polk declined to disclose the offer amount and said it was not worth anything. The reporting does not establish that the family sold the property, who the prospective buyer was, or what the land is worth.
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Residents’ concerns alongside the project’s promised benefits
The economic case for the development has been promoted by state officials. Announcing the project, Gov. Tate Reeves called the investment “a project that will transform the region and bring amazing opportunities to its residents for generations.” That is the governor’s assessment of expected benefits. It does not answer the family’s concerns about noise, air quality, or their lost use of the land.
CBS News reported that a resident-run group, the Safe and Sound Coalition, had gathered more than 1,400 petition signatures by October 5, 2026. The reporting captures a local dispute over how the project affects nearby residents; the petition total is not a technical assessment of the plant or a measure of legal liability.
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