SpaceX bid to dismiss NAACP Clean Air Act lawsuit rejected

A federal court in Mississippi has denied a motion from SpaceX to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the NAACP. The organization alleges that the company violated the federal Clean Air Act by operating 27 gas-fired combustion turbines at its AI data center site in Southaven without proper environmental permits.

In its defense, SpaceX argued that the turbines were mobile sources and therefore exempt from standard permitting requirements. It also challenged the NAACP’s legal standing to bring the suit under federal environmental law. The presiding judge rejected these claims, confirming that the plaintiffs have the statutory standing to pursue the case and that the turbines do not meet the criteria for mobile sources.

The lawsuit, filed in April 2026, contends that the operation of the power plant associated with the Colossus data centers has created air quality issues, including pollutants and particulate matter that adversely affect neighboring communities. The case gained further attention earlier this month when the court rejected a separate request by the U.S. Department of Justice to have the matter dismissed.

With the motion to dismiss denied, the legal proceedings will move toward trial. SpaceX has not yet issued a formal statement regarding the judge’s latest ruling.