Elon Musk’s “sustainable” businesses may not be practicing exactly what they preach in Central Texas. Contrary to the company’s mission to develop “products that replace some of the planet’s biggest pollutants,” Tesla is now required to report its own pollution.
Tesla’s Gigafactory near Austin has been dumping toxic pollutants into the environment for months, The Wall Street Journal reported. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality confirmed to MySA that it conducted 15 investigations at the electronic car maker’s factories, one related to waste and the rest for aviation violations.
The Journal’s account of Tesla’s environmental problems comes from interviews with city and state regulators, former employees, and other documents, including a memo sent by a whistleblower to the Environmental Protection Agency. The factory’s giant foundry furnace, which melts metal for Model Y parts, had a door that wouldn’t close, spewing toxins into the air and raising temperatures to 100 degrees for workers on the floor, WSJ reported.
In addition, hazardous wastewater from production, including paints, oils, and other chemicals, is also flowing untreated into the city’s sewer system, a violation of state guidelines. One example: Tesla held a “cyber rodeo” at its Gigafactory in the spring of 2022, but behind the scenes, according to WSJ, a six-acre “evaporation” site was building to collect wastewater from construction work, chemical spills, and a paint shop. It is said that measures were taken to hide the pond. sauce.
The water was reportedly filled with toxins and smelled like rotten eggs, and at one point employees discovered a deer carcass in the water. The company discharged untreated pond water directly into the sewer system without permission from the city’s water utility, Austin Water, and by the time of the party had hired a team of contractors to remove much of the pond water. It is believed that the water was being pumped onto a truck crossing the road. .
Tesla executives were aware of the problem, but at times opted for short-term fixes to avoid production delays, the WSJ reported. The company laid off more than 10% of its global workforce in April, with some former employees refusing to sign nondisclosure agreements that would allow them to speak freely about the environmental problems they witnessed at Tesla’s Gigafactory. I retired without any severance pay.
The magazine reported that earlier this month, TCEQ began a preliminary investigation into allegations by a former Tesla employee in Austin. MySA has contacted Tesla for comment.
