#News

Date: June 27, 2024

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has ordered Tesla to stop emitting toxic air pollutants from its San Francisco Bay manufacturing facility.

Tesla is an Electric Vehicle maker owned by Elon Musk. It manufactures self-driving electric cars and cyber trucks, which have sparked EV innovation in global automakers. However, the sustainability vision of Elon Musk is not meeting the on-ground reality. Tesla’s San Francisco Bay manufacturing unit has been allegedly disposing of air pollutants for over 5 years. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has issued an official notice to the company to stop the disposal activities immediately.

The Bay Area manufacturing plant has been found to be violating 112 compliance standards of air pollution prevention. Each of the 112 violations may potentially emit hundreds of pounds of illegal air pollutants. The facility is located in the city of Fremont in the East Bay. The independent agency board stated that the plant’s paint shop operations are one specific cause of the problem.

The agency board has directed Tesla to hire an independent consultant and develop a proposal to implement the anti-toxic disposal measures. The agency is also preparing an official directive to halt specific operations till the new plan is approved by the board and on-ground action is taken by the company.

“Tesla’s ongoing violations at their Fremont facility pose a risk to public health and air quality in the surrounding community. This order is crucial to ensure that Tesla takes prompt and effective action to stop harmful emissions and comply with all air quality regulations to protect the health of those living near the facility,”

-  Philip Fine, executive officer of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, said in a news release.

In February, a California judge ordered Tesla to pay $1.5 million as part of a settlement for a civil case alleging mismanagement in the disposal and storage of hazardous waste. The complaint was filed in San Joaquin County, and the prosecutors said that Tesla’s company representatives cooperated thoroughly with the investigation team. The representatives also acted to improve compliance with the laws that were brought to their attention.

The world of sustainable solutions is evolving as a lifestyle, from the best eco-friendly apps to renewable energy grids. However, growing efforts to build sustainable products have often brought to attention high-polluting activities in the production process. The recent controversial spotlight of Tesla may awaken other businesses to recheck and correct their activities in accordance with environment protection laws.