Shelby County Health Department could face new monthly reporting requirements on South Memphis air quality
The Shelby County Commission could soon require the Shelby County Health Department to provide monthly reports over air quality in South Memphis
Desmond Nugent
MEMPHIS, Tenn — In response to growing environmental concerns in South Memphis, the Shelby County Commission has proposed a resolution that would require the Shelby County Health Department to provide monthly — rather than quarterly — updates on local air quality in South Memphis.
The proposal stems from rising tensions surrounding emissions linked to xAI, the world’s largest supercomputer facility, which began operations in South Memphis last year. Community members and environmental groups say xAI and other related facilities have contributed to a noticeable decline in air quality.
KeShaun Pearson, president of Memphis Community Against Pollution (MCAP), told ABC24 the proposed resolution is long overdue.
“It’s a huge step forward because it brings us out of the dark,” Pearson said. “We continue to be closed out of the information that we are owed from our public institution, especially the folks who are supposed to protect us, like our Shelby County Health Department.”
According to Pearson, the Health Department has not released any public air quality reports since it received more than $400,000 in federal funding from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last October. The EPA earmarked that funding specifically for air monitoring efforts in South Memphis.
Pearson said MCAP hopes the county commission passes the resolution. He believes it will hold the Shelby County Health Department accountable for failing to enforce the Clean Air Act, a comprehensive federal law that regulates air emissions to protect public health and the environment. The EPA primarily enforces the law.
“The Clean Air Act, the regulations that the Shelby County Health Department already have in their bylaws and in their procedures allow for them to oversee and to make sure that our air is as clean and pristine as it possibly could be,” he said.
During Wednesday’s Shelby County Commission committee meeting, County Commissioner Dr. Edmund Ford, Jr., the resolution’s sponsor, addressed representatives of the county health department about why his constituents are calling for a faster update on air pollution concerns.
“Instead of us having a quarterly update, which we have with our permanent rules, we’re asking for monthly updates,” he said.
Mr. Bash, a father and South Memphis resident who declined to give his full first name, shared his perspective on the issue.
“They [children] gotta grow up around the same environment, they gotta go through the same conditions. They gotta be raised, go to school, or go outside to even play, so you definitely want to know your kids are playing in a safe environment,” he said.
Bash told ABC24 he sees a need for consistent air quality reports for the people who live in South Memphis.
“This our everyday life growing up out here in South Memphis. So the air we breathing in, it’s definitely important because it’s causing people to get sick,” Mr. Bash said.
Pearson also highlighted the unequal distribution of air quality monitors across the county.
“It’s ridiculous when you have [a monitor] in Shelby Farms, but you don’t have one where the concentration of pollution is. And why is that?” he asked.
ABC24 reached out to Shelby County Health Director Dr. Michelle Taylor, who declined an on-camera interview but stated that the department will respond to questions about monthly reporting if and when the County Commission approves the resolution.
The Shelby County Commission is scheduled to vote on the proposal Monday. ABC24 will continue providing updates as the situation develops.
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