Memphis-Shelby County residents deserve a clean environment
We can support job growth and protect public health. We can be a city prepared for the future without poisoning the people who live here.
Donald Trump, Elon Musk and more celebrities on Time 100 list
Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people of 2025 includes Donald Trump, Elon Musk, along with Simone Biles and more celebrities.
On April 25, the Shelby County Health Department (SCHD) will host a public hearing about potential air pollution risks tied to xAI’s use of gas turbines in South Memphis.
People in Memphis and throughout Shelby County are rightfully concerned about long-term impacts to public health, and their well-being and quality of life should be front and center in this conversation.
This isn’t the first time our community has come together to protect clean air and water, and it won’t be the last.
Memphis has a long history of people standing up for our environment, and I’ve always been proud to stand with them.
Billionaires’ private interests should not gamble with Memphis’ future
When a proposed pipeline threatened the Memphis Sand Aquifer − the source of our clean drinking water − I stood with community activists and environmental advocates like now state Rep. Justin Pearson, and local elected officials like City Councilman Jeff Warren to oppose it.
When TVA moved to shut down its coal-fired Allen plant, I pushed them to replace it with renewable energy, not more fossil fuels. I’ve used my position on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to support cleaner vehicles and stronger air quality standards, and today I’m Tennessee’s only Member of Congress who voted for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, which made historic investments in clean air and water systems.
I’ve fought for Memphis every time our air and water have been threatened. These are some of the most important assets that make our community a great place to live and work, and we cannot allow the private interests of billionaires to gamble with our future.
Let’s be clear: Memphis should be a destination for opportunity and cutting-edge industry. We are a city full of talent, potential, and innovation. We welcome economic growth and the potential for new jobs − in tech, healthcare, manufacturing, or anywhere else. But no company should get a blank check to do business here without community input and strict safeguards. That’s especially true when it comes to the air we breathe and the water we drink.
That’s why I started questioning the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about the risks of xAI’s gas turbines from the outset of Elon Musk’s foray into Memphis − and why I’ve continued to act in response to his “Colossus” supercomputer project.
District 9 residents should know who is trying to pollute our communities
In September of 2024, I sent a letter to the EPA urging them to examine how xAI’s plans might affect nearby communities—especially South Memphis neighborhoods already overburdened by industrial pollution. While I received a response confirming that a formal review process had been triggered under the Clean Air Act, that was under President Joe Biden’s EPA.
I have far less confidence in that process while President Trump and his administration are busy dismantling the EPA in favor of corporate polluters − especially when this polluter happens to be his largest political donor and a multi-billionaire.
After Lee Zeldin was confirmed as Trump’s EPA Administrator, I asked EPA for an update and urged them to guarantee the public has a meaningful voice in the permit review process.
I’ve also pushed for broader transparency. Under Trump, the EPA has quietly allowed companies to apply for Clean Air Act exemptions without public notice or accountability. I wrote the EPA demanding the names of every company seeking exemptions in Memphis and Tennessee’s 9th District.
After more of my colleagues learned about the issue, I led a letter with Senator Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, and 59 Members of Congress demanding the same disclosure nationwide.
The public has a right to know which companies are trying to pollute our communities behind closed doors, and I intend to make sure they do.
Attract high-tech employers who are environmentally responsible
That same commitment to transparency has guided my response to xAI’s proposal. I’ve reached out to thousands of residents across Memphis and Shelby County encouraging them to weigh in during SCHD’s open comment period.
I’ll also be submitting a public comment myself. Public input matters, and people can still share their views through the SCHD’s website or by attending Friday’s hearing.
The residents of Boxtown, Westwood, Whitehaven, and other neighborhoods near the site shouldn’t have to sacrifice their health so the richest man in the world can run a supercomputer.
We can attract high-tech employers and insist on environmental responsibility. We can support job growth and protect public health. We can be a city prepared for the future without poisoning the people who live here.
That’s a basic standard every person who lives, works, or does business in Memphis and Shelby County should be able to agree on. It’s the standard Memphians deserve, and the one I’ll continue to fight for.
U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, represents Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District.
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