Elon Musk is facing criticism after reports of environmental law violations linked to his businesses. These claims come as the billionaire CEO prepares to assume a role in the Trump administration as co-leader of the Department of Government Efficiency, where he has pledged to cut regulations enforced by federal agencies, including those that have cited his companies for infractions.
Musk has previously championed his environmental contributions, particularly through Tesla, saying last year that as the automaker’s CEO he has “done more for the environment than everyone, any single human on Earth.”
In 2023, the automaker’s electric vehicles reportedly prevented over 20 million tons of carbon emissions — equivalent to removing 4.5 million gas-powered cars from the roads for an entire year.
However, The Wall Street Journal is reporting those carbon savings may come with an environmental cost. Tesla’s Austin gigafactory has been accused of discharging hazardous wastewater into city sewers, emitting pollutants due to a faulty furnace, and using a chemical waste pond where dead wildlife has been found.
One attempt to address water pollution allegedly resulted in nearly a mile of the Colorado River being coated in a slick, brown substance.
The company’s Fremont, California, facility also faces criticism, with over 180 air quality violations recorded since 2019 — 75 of them occurring in the past year alone. Former employees claim management was aware of these issues but failed to act, prioritizing production over compliance and allegedly instructing workers to mislead regulators about pollution output.
Tesla isn’t the only Musk-led company under fire. SpaceX has received violation notices for releasing pollutants into water bodies near its Starbase facility in Texas.
Meanwhile, environmental advocates in Tennessee warn that Musk’s plans to construct a supercomputer for his artificial intelligence company, X.AI, could exacerbate pollution in the area.
Musk’s pending role as co-leader of the Department of Government Efficiency has raised questions about potential conflicts of interest.
The newly established department aims to slash $2 trillion from the federal budget, with Musk indicating a focus on making those cuts in the budgets of regulatory agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), all of which currently regulate activities linked to Musk’s companies.
The post Musk’s companies hit with pollution violations from regulators he aims to cut appeared first on Straight Arrow News.
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Author: Jack Aylmer
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