Southaven Mayor Darren Musselwhite reportedly told resident Jason Haley that the noise from a plant supporting xAI data centers was a priority, then added that xAI wanted houses for employees and Haley might consider selling his home. The exchange, as reported by CBS News after reviewing emails Haley shared, was advice—not a formal buyout offer. It captures the conflict at the center of the dispute: residents seeking relief from a persistent neighborhood noise problem while the city and company pursue a major development.
What the mayor reportedly wrote
In an email to Haley, Mayor Darren Musselwhite wrote: “The noise issue is one of my highest priorities and I have been in detailed discussions with xAI and many independent professionals to resolve this.” He then said: “I know they want houses for employees, so you may want to consider selling your home.” CBS News reported the exchange after reviewing emails Haley shared with the outlet.
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The account does not describe the remark as an official city offer to buy Haley’s property, and it does not report that xAI made him a purchase offer. The mayor’s suggestion came in the context of Haley’s complaint about noise. CBS says it made multiple attempts to speak with Musselwhite but did not receive a reply; it also contacted xAI, whose response was not included in the published account.
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Haley and other nearby residents describe a continuing hum or buzz from a plant supporting xAI data centers. Haley told CBS his first thought was “somebody’s got a leaf blower going all the time.” He said he had recorded backyard readings above 60 decibels as late as 10:15 p.m. Those are his measurements as described by CBS, not an independently verified acoustic assessment; without the measurement method, location, duration, metric and calibration, the figures cannot establish a legal violation or be directly compared with other noise guidance.
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Haley and Taylor Logsdon describe disrupted sleep and symptoms including headaches, migraines, anxiety and ringing in the ears. These are residents’ accounts, not medical findings establishing that the plant caused those effects. Logsdon told CBS, “I would move tomorrow if I could.” Dr. Samoon Ahmad, a clinical professor of psychiatry at New York University, told CBS that noise annoyance can have physical consequences: “People think of annoyance as an abstract term,” he said. “It’s not an abstract term because it has real physiological ramifications.”
What the WHO says about nighttime noise
The World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe’s 2011 guidance recommends less than 40 dB(A) as an annual average outdoor nighttime noise level to prevent adverse health effects from night noise. It separately recommends less than 30 dB(A) inside bedrooms at night for good-quality sleep. Those are different metrics and settings: the indoor bedroom recommendation should not be substituted for the outdoor annual-average figure.
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The WHO guidance is general environmental-noise advice, not a measurement of this plant or a legal standard for Southaven. Haley’s reported readings cannot be compared directly with either recommendation on the available information.
What is known about noise-reduction efforts
CBS reports that Musselwhite said xAI had spent millions on a sound wall, a berm and evergreen trees, citing a February Facebook post. Logsdon told CBS the measures had not helped her family. The reporting presents the city’s account of the measures alongside a resident’s account of their effect; it does not provide an independent measurement showing how much sound they reduced.
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For anyone documenting a similar problem, a sound-level meter can help keep a consistent record, but a consumer device does not by itself identify the source, prove regulatory noncompliance or establish a legal violation. A useful log should note the time, location, duration, conditions and device or measurement method, and preserve recordings or readings with that context.
What the lawsuits and permit dispute allege
CBS reports that Haley and two other Southaven residents who live within a mile of the plant sued xAI and its subsidiary MZX Tech in June. The residents allege near-constant noise and vibrations and negative physical and psychological health effects. Those claims are allegations, not judicial findings.
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CBS also reports that the NAACP filed a lawsuit concerning emissions from the plant and appealed the state environmental agency’s air-permit decision. The underlying filings, permit record and current procedural status are not established by the published account summarized here, so the existence of the reported challenges should not be read as a ruling on their merits.
The development’s promised benefits and local concerns
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves described the investment as “the largest economic development project in Mississippi’s history,” according to CBS. That claim about the project’s economic significance does not answer residents’ questions about noise, health, emissions or how effective mitigation has been. Conversely, residents’ accounts and pending legal challenges do not by themselves resolve the project’s economic value or establish regulatory violations.
Public opposition to nearby AI data centers is also visible nationally, but the figures are not a Southaven poll. In a Gallup survey conducted March 2–18, 2026, 71% of Americans opposed constructing AI data centers in their local area, including 48% who strongly opposed it. In a separate April 2026 open-ended web survey, 16% of opponents mentioned pollution—including noise, air or water pollution—as a reason; about one in five cited local quality-of-life concerns. These percentages describe national survey responses, not the views of Southaven residents.
What would clarify the dispute
The central unanswered question is not simply whether the project brings jobs or whether neighbors report disturbance. It is how the sound is measured, whether it violates applicable requirements, and whether the measures in place meaningfully reduce exposure at nearby homes. The available CBS account supplies resident descriptions and reported official statements, but not independent acoustic measurements or the underlying permit and court records.
Quick Recap
- For residents: consistently documented times, locations and measurement methods can make complaints easier to assess, though consumer readings alone are not proof of a violation.
- For public officials and the company: clear, independently verifiable noise measurements and a description of mitigation performance would address the specific concern raised in the reported email exchange.
- For readers assessing the legal questions: a lawsuit or permit appeal identifies a dispute, not its outcome; the filings, agency record and any court decisions determine what has been established.
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