Noise In The News: Weekly Round-Up

by Quiet Communities Staff

Photo credit: Andrea Piacquadio

Mississippi town terrorized by nearby xAI facility

In the midst of the recent win in New York against loud and unhealthy data centers, a southern town’s struggles with noise and pollution remind us why strong leadership and policy are essential in this fight. Southaven, Mississippi, is under attack. Bombarded by constant noise from nearby data centers, the town’s residents have filed a lawsuit against xAI and its subsidiary, MZX Tech, with little support from the mayor. Residents’ complaints are falling on deaf ears, and the “advice” provided by Southaven’s mayor—that residents sell their homes and move away from the data center–does nothing to address the noise issue at hand.

Fair Lawn, New Jersey, sets up hotline over noise from Paterson

Just across the Passaic River from Paterson, New Jersey, residents of neighboring Fair Lawn say noise from bars, restaurants, vehicles, and residential buildings has become a persistent nuisance. But because the sound is outside town lines, local police have had no authority to respond. Fair Lawn officials have now launched a dedicated hotline so residents can log complaints, helping the borough track patterns and share the data with the Paterson Police Department in hopes of finding a joint solution.