Mississippi man says noise from data centre plant is 'torture.'
asserted
noise → say → plant
But he won't sell his home to Musk's SpaceXSI
Company offering buyouts to dissuade people from joining class action over noise pollution
Jason Haley says he's barely slept since August of last year, when the noises began.
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noises → sell → year
At his home in Southaven, Miss., he describes an incessant thrum that sounds like a train rushing past or an airplane flying overhead, intermittently punctuated by high-pitched squeal.
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that → describe → squeal
He can hear it inside and out, day and night.
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He → hear → it
It pierces through his earplugs and roars over his box fan.
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It → pierce → fan
And it all comes from a plant built less than one kilometre from his home to power massive data centres in Mississippi and Tennessee, owned by SpaceXSI, Elon Musk's AI company.
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it → come → SpaceXSI
"I've described this as torture," Haley told As It Happens host Nil Kӧksal.
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It → describe → Kӧksal
"It's driving [me] nuts."
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It → drive → ?
Haley is one of three plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit against SpaceXSI, previously known as SpaceXAI or xAI.
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Haley → know → SpaceXAI
Filed in June in a U.S. district court , it claims the plant is a public nuisance that's inflicting emotional distress on residents.
uncertain
that → file → residents
MZX Tech, LLC, an affiliate of the SpaceXSI group of companies, has denied the lawsuit's allegations.
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LLC → deny → allegations
Now it is sending realtors door-to-door with letters offering to buy people's homes in exchange for agreeing not to join it.
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it → send → it
Miner, Barnhill & Galland, the law firm behind the class-action, declined to comment publicly on the case, but addressed the buyout offers on its website.
"As the attorneys bringing the xAI lawsuit, we believe no resident should have to leave their home and community because of the actions of xAI and MZX," the lawyers said.
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lawyers → decline → xAI
SpaceXSI did not respond to multiple requests for comment through its parent company, SpaceX.
Lawsuit says SpaceXAI 'putting profits over people'
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SpaceXAI → respond → people
The plant near Haley's house uses a combination of mobile and permanent gas turbines, which are the source of the noise, as well as what experts describe as harmful air pollutants.
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experts → use → pollutants
It's built to power SpaceXSI data centres that train the company's AI tools, including the large language model Grok.
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that → build → model
SpaceXSI has three data centres in the area — Colossus I and Colossus II over the state line in Memphis, Tenn., and MACROHARDRR, which is under construction in Southaven.
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which → have → Southaven
Companies like Defendants are rushing to construct massive data centers and power-generation facilities, siting them in quiet residential areas like Southaven, Mississippi, and subjecting residents to near-constant noise, vibrations, and other nuisance-level harms," the lawsuit says.
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lawsuit → rush → noise
"It is a textbook example of putting profits over people, with corporate interests trampling residents' fundamental right to use and enjoy their property."
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interests → put → property
Since he joined the class-action, Haley says people have accused him of having a "politically charged agenda" against Musk and his companies.
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people → join → Musk
"I'm like, 'look, that's got nothing to do with it,'" he said.
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he → look → it
"I don't care whose project this is.
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this → care → ?
Data centres have been a huge point of contention in Canada, with projects in Alberta, Nova Scotia, Quebec and Ontario all facing public backlash.
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projects → face → backlash
Renter says buyout offer got her evicted
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her → say → ?
According to a letter obtained by Fox affiliate, Action News 5, MZX Tech is offering to buy houses near the Southaven plant in exchange for “among other things, a release of all claims."
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Tech → accord → claims
That means that, if the class action is certified, sellers would be required opt out, and agree not to bring forward any new claims.
uncertain
sellers → mean → claims
A resident speaks during a public meeting discussing the operation of gas-powered turbines at a SpaceXSI data centre in Southaven, Miss., on Feb. 17, 2026.
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resident → speak → Feb.
Haley says he's already spoken to several neighbours who have decided to take the offer.
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who → say → offer
"But then you have a lot of people that you know, fixed income or, you know or elderly that really just don't have the energy and money and abilities to go out and get a new house," he said.
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he → have → house
Danielle Dillard, a single mother of four, told the Mississippi Daily Journal that she's being evicted from her home after her landlord took the buyout.
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landlord → tell → buyout
She's crowdfunding to cover the costs of the sudden move, and wrote on GoFundMe: "This has turned our lives upside down."
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This → crowdfunde → lives
Mayor backs SpaceXSI
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Mayor → back → SpaceXSI
Southaven Mayor Darren Musselwhite addressed the buyout offers in a blog post earlier this month.
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Musselwhite → address → post
He said that he's been working with MZX to mitigate noise levels, including "ongoing conversion of temporary turbines to quieter permanent ones.
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he → say → ones
"
"The residential property buyout is not an option to replace this resolution, but a parallel approach by them as a good corporate citizen," Musselwhite wrote.
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Musselwhite → replace → citizen
He said the project will bring "hundreds of new jobs for our local workforce," but added that MZX will also need to bring in "specialized personnel," who will live in the purchased homes.
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who → say → homes
Gas turbines are seen outside the SpaceXSI data centre in Memphis, Tenn., one of three in the region built to train AI tools, including the large language model Grok.
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turbines → see → model
Musselwhite said the company has "never violated the city’s noise ordinance," which limits noise at 70 decibels.
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which → say → decibels
However, Haley has shared videos with CBC in which a handheld device detects noise levels as high as 72 decibels outside his home.
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device → share → home
He also posts those videos online.
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He → post → videos
…and 6 more, not listed.
The Aporia
