Residents in Mississippi sued xAI Corp., Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, SpaceX, and MZX Tech LLC, accusing them of disrupting a quiet Southaven neighborhood with constant noise and vibration from gas-powered turbines allegedly used to support nearby AI data center operations.
The proposed class action, filed June 8 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi, claims the companies’ Southaven plant has generated persistent noise and vibration that disrupts sleep, limits residents’ use of their homes and yards, and reduces property values.
The plaintiffs, Jason Haley, Preston Herrington and Taylor Logsdon, are seeking damages and a jury trial on behalf of residents and property owners allegedly affected by the facility.
Residents say turbines shattered neighborhood quiet
According to the complaint, residents have been exposed to “constant loud, persistent, and low-frequency noise and vibrations” from the defendants’ gas-powered turbines.
The plaintiffs say the sound and vibration penetrate homes, making it difficult to sleep, rest, talk outdoors, open windows, spend time in yards or on decks, and enjoy the quiet use of their properties.
The complaint alleges the disruption has caused anxiety, increased stress, sleep disturbance, irritability, headaches, nausea, tinnitus and reduced quality of life. Property owners also claim the alleged nuisance has diminished the value of their homes.
Lawsuit targets xAI, SpaceX and MZX
The complaint names xAI Corp., Space Exploration Technologies Corp. and MZX Tech LLC as defendants, alleging they operated the Southaven Plant in a way that caused substantial and continuing interference with nearby residents’ use and enjoyment of their property.
The lawsuit says the defendants knew or should have known that 24-hour operations would emit continuous industrial noise incompatible with nearby residential neighborhoods. It also claims the companies failed to adopt adequate noise-control measures despite repeated complaints from residents and warnings from city officials.
The filing says the proposed class area includes thousands of residences and, based on the plaintiffs’ information and belief, more than 10,000 potential class members.
Plaintiffs seek damages and nuisance relief
The lawsuit brings claims including private nuisance, public nuisance, negligence, negligence per se tied to Southaven’s municipal noise code, and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
The plaintiffs are seeking monetary damages for loss of use and enjoyment of property, emotional distress, nuisance-level physical harms and alleged reductions in property value. They are also asking for punitive damages and injunctive relief to abate the alleged nuisance.
Lawsuit comes at a sensitive time
The Southaven case comes as Musk’s companies face wider scrutiny over the local impact of their operations, just as SpaceX moves toward a planned public listing.
In April, the NAACP sued xAI and MZX Tech, accusing them of operating gas turbines without an air permit at a Southaven site tied to the Colossus 2 data center.
SpaceX also faced a May lawsuit from more than 70 Texas residents who alleged Starship test flights caused noise, vibrations and damage to homes near its Starbase facility.
The new complaint adds another community-impact challenge before SpaceX’s expected IPO.
