The image of the electric car giant is tarnished. While Elon Musk has just been appointed head of the Department of Government Efficiency with the mission of reducing costs linked to regulation, his flagship company, Tesla, accumulates environmental offenses. An investigation of Wall Street Journal has just revealed a series of systematic violations of anti-pollution standards in its factories, particularly that of Austin, Texas, where the situation took an alarming turn.
Revelations are piling up around Tesla’s Texas factory, where the Tesla Cybertruck is manufactured, among others. A faulty foundry furnace continued to operate for months, releasing toxic substances into the atmosphere and exposing workers to temperatures reaching 100°C at ground level.
More concerning: the plant discharged wastewater laden with paint and other chemicals into the municipal sewer system without prior treatment, in clear violation of state guidelines. More than 980,000 liters of caustic water were thus discharged into Austin’s sewers over a three-day period in September, far exceeding authorized limits.
An evaporation basin of more than 24,000 m3 (used to recover wastewater and chemicals), filled with sulfuric and nitric acidwas even hidden during a promotional evening called “Cyber Rodeo“. This pond emitted a pestilential smell of rotten eggs and a deer was even found deceased there.
Management under pressure and muzzled whistleblowers
Internal documents obtained by the Wall Street Journal paint a portrait of a company where productivity takes precedence over environmental concerns. Not surprising, when we know Tesla’s corporate culture which has a direct impact on the incentive compensation system put in place by the firm.
At Tesla, we don’t talk about the environment among employees; those who tried to alert people about these abuses faced reprisals. Several left the company without compensation after refusing to sign confidentiality agreements. An environmental compliance official states in a memo to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency): “ Tesla repeatedly asked me to lie to the government so they could operate without paying for proper environmental control systems. »
This denunciation, accompanied by hundreds of pages of regulatory documents, photos and videos, triggered the opening of a preliminary investigation by the EPA and the TCEQ (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality).
In Fremont, California, Tesla holds the unenviable record for the number of warnings for emissions violations over five years, surpassed only by a Chevron refinery. The toll is heavy: 112 air pollution permit violationsto which are added 75 new notifications since the last formal notice, despite long discussions with regulators.
These revelations contrast violently with the image of champion of the environment cultivated by Teslawhose stated mission is to “ protect life on Earth “. While Musk denounces a “ mountain of stifling regulations », its factories continue to ignore the rules, favoring speed of production over compliance with environmental standards. Sadly ironic.
- Tesla is accused of dumping toxic untreated water and polluting the air in its factories, notably in Austin and Fremont.
- Ecology appears to be the least of the company’s concerns, with employees under pressure to cover up or ignore environmental infractions.
- Revelations from the Wall Street Journal which prompted the initiation of an investigation by the EPA and the TCEQ.
