A non-profit has launched a new emissions lawsuit against Tesla, claiming that the company’s Fremont, California, factory paint shop exposes nearby residents to harmful pollutants.
The Environmental Democracy Project filed the suit with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on Monday, accusing Tesla of violating the federal Clean Air Act since January 2021. In the lawsuit, the organization accuses Tesla of letting its paint shop of produce excessive nitrogen oxides, arsenic, cadmium, and other harmful chemicals.
The non-profit is seeking an injunction on further emissions and civil fines of as much as $121,275 each day Tesla continues to violate the Clean Air Act.
Tesla settles hazardous waste lawsuit in California for $1.5 million
In another case with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD), settled in 2021, Tesla agreed to pay a $1 million penalty and install solar panels on its roof to mitigate air quality violations. Earlier this month, the BAAQMD said it would seek out an independent hearing board to order the automaker to decrease its harmful emissions from the factory’s paint shop.
This February, Tesla also agreed to pay $1.5 million in a settlement with 25 counties throughout California, after the group filed lawsuits against the company for improperly labeling hazardous waste such as diesel fuel, paint materials, lubricating oils, brake fluids, and lead-acid batteries.
Right around the time of the first media reports of the filing, initially reported by Reuters, Tesla CEO Elon Musk shared multiple posts on X reiterating his recent criticisms of the publication. In one post, he went on to call the outlet “the absolute dumbest news organization,” in response to someone from satire outlet The Babylon Bee saying that a Reuters fact-checker reached out for comment on a “potentially misleading story.”
Musk later posted a meme about the news organization, and reposted another chart that suggested Reuters web traffic has decreased by almost 50 percent in the past seven months.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 14, 2024
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