“From our understanding, sound barriers can reduce some frequencies under controlled conditions, but turbine noise includes low-frequency sounds and tonal components that often reach beyond the barriers,” a coalition spokesperson said. “The most effective way to reduce industrial noise exposure is generally distance from residential areas, which is not a mitigation option in this scenario given the proximity to homes.”
The coalition urged XAI to be transparent and share data to support its mitigation claims if it wants the community to believe that a second noise barrier will make a difference.
“Without transparent modelling, validated field measurements and independent verification, it is difficult to assess whether the barrier will meaningfully address the nuisance experienced by nearby residents,” a coalition spokesperson said. “Mitigation claims are only meaningful if they are supported by transparent data.”
Mayor calls protesters Musk haters
At least one city official, Mayor Darren Musselwhite, has suggested that the community reaction is “political.” Although he acknowledged that the noise was a “legitimate concern”, he also claimed on Facebook that some of the people opposing the XAI facility were simply Elon Musk haters, NBC News reported.
“Southaven is now being attacked by all those who have chosen to oppose Elon Musk because of his high-profile political stances,” Musselwhite wrote.
However, residents told NBC News that “their concerns have nothing to do with politics.” One person interviewed also praised Musk’s work with the Department of Government Efficiency.
Instead, they’re worried that local officials seeing dollar signs could potentially let xAI exploit the loophole to pollute communities without warning. The Safe and Sound Coalition’s community flyer criticized the questionable behavior of local officials:
“This project was started behind our backs, with zero community input. Local officials repeatedly downplayed concerns, distorted the facts and misled residents about the real impacts and the deals made with XAI. Many only found out after the turbines were up and running.”
A spokesperson for the coalition told Ars that a health impact analysis published on behalf of SELC provides “meaningful insight” into the biggest health risks. It concluded that, using the EPA’s COBRA health impact model, emissions from running 41 permanent turbines at the Southaven plant are “estimated to result in $30-$44 million in health-related damages per year, including the costs of premature deaths, hospital visits, and lost productivity. Over a typical 30-year operating life, these impacts would amount to a cumulative discounted public-health cost of approximately $588-$862 million, which Carried largely by residents of Tennessee and Mississippi.”
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