Overview:
The EPA announced that large methane gas turbines — even temporary ones — require a permit.
Local environmental groups and advocates asked for an apology to be issued to South Memphis Residents and that the Shelby County Health Department “follow the law,” following a recent announcement from the Environmental Protection Agency.
State representative Justin J. Pearson along with LaTricea Adams, CEO, founder, and president of Young, Gifted, and Green, and KeShaun Pearson, executive director for Memphis Community Against Pollution (MCAP), held a press conference on Wednesday at St. Paul Church of God In Christ, following a recent announcement on gas turbines confirming community claims.
Last week the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that large methane gas turbines require a permit — even temporary ones.
The news comes a month after the Shelby County Air Pollution dismissed an appeal to rescind xAI’s air permit. The appeal was filed by the Southern Environmental Law Center on behalf of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and Young, Gifted, and Green.
During the hearing, attorneys for the health department stressed that the EPA told them that temporary turbines did not need a permit. This caused the board to decide the permit met legal requirements.
According to the EPA’s revised New Source Performance Standard, temporary methane gas turbines must follow requirements set by the agency — meaning they must obtain an air permit before operating.
The agency said these turbines “have never been exempt from the regulations.”
Justin called for the Shelby County Health Department to revise its position on the matter, and follow federal law. He advised that the department set a precedent for future data centers to acquire the necessary permits before operating.
The representative said the EPA’s order confirmed what many residents had consistently said in town halls, meetings, and hearings. Pearson urged elected officials to send letters to the health department to comply with the EPA’s mandate.
“Our community was right all along,” Pearson said. “We always choose our community and our right to breathe clean air, to drink clean water, and plant in clean soil.”
Adams, emphasized that the EPA’s mandate is federal law and not a suggestion. She called decisions by the health department and the Shelby County Air Pollution control board displays of “blatant and staggering incompetence.”
“Expert environmental organizations and frontline community members told the health department over and over again that they were breaking the law,” Adams said. “The Shelby County Health Department must change their policy today to ensure no polluting industrial equipment turns on without a permit.”
As community members chanted “we were right,” KeShaun said he was proud of residents for continuing to show up and voice their concerns. He called the EPA’s decision a “historical celebration,” as South Memphis residents have continually been ignored and left out.
“It has taken the collective action of Memphians and those outside the city to get us where we are today,” KeShaun said. “We are celebrating the result of our continued pursuit of environmental justice for our families and our future.”