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The Model 3 assembly line at Tesla's factory in Fremont. Justin Kaneps for The New York Times
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced this week it has reached a settlement with Tesla Motors Inc for Clean Air Act violations at the company’s automobile manufacturing plant in Fremont.
Under the settlement, Tesla agreed to pay a $275,000 penalty for failing to curb air pollution at the facility.
“Today’s enforcement action against Tesla reflects EPA’s continued commitment to ensure compliance with federal clean air laws,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman in a statement released Feb. 22. “EPA takes seriously every company’s obligation to safeguard our environment and protect our most vulnerable communities.”
People living in communities that are near sources of hazardous air pollutants may face significant risks to their health and environment, the EPA said in a press release.
EPA reported that approximately 60,000 households are within five miles of the Tesla plant.
The list of hazardous air pollutants, or “air toxics”, includes over 180 chemicals that are known or suspected to cause cancer or other serious health effects. Tesla’s facility applied coating materials containing formaldehyde, ethylbenzene, naphthalene, and xylene.
Based on several information requests to Tesla, EPA determined that the company violated federal Clean Air Act regulations known as National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Surface Coating of Automobiles and Light-Duty Trucks from October 2016 through September 2019 by:
This settlement aligns with EPA’s National Compliance Initiative, Creating Cleaner Air for Communities by Reducing Excess Emissions of Harmful Pollutants.
Compliance monitoring is used by the EPA to ensure that the regulated community follows environmental laws and regulations. The Tesla settlement “is another example of the agency’s years-long compliance oversight of this facility.” the agency said in a statement.
It reported that “Tesla has corrected the violations noted in both settlements and returned to compliance.”
Tesla did not comment on the EPA fine.
The Los Angeles TImes reported this week that Tesla has been a repeat violator of air pollution limits at the Fremont plant. In 2019, the EPA fined the company $31,000 for hazardous waste violations and required it to pay $55,000 to the Fremont Fire Department for emergency response equipment. At least four fires have broken out at the paint shop.
In May 2021, Tesla was fined $1 million by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District after 33 violation notices, including pollution emissions that exceeded Tesla’s permit thresholds.
The Fremont plant has also been in the news lately after the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing filed a lawsuit Feb. 9 regarding civil rights violations stemming from allegations of racism and sexual harassment aimed mostly at Black workers.
The enhanced enforcement of the program, which will go into effect Oct. 13, includes sharp increases in fines – from 10 to 25 times greater – plus the permanent revocation of a permit for a third offense.
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A Union City man admitted to robberies and attempted robberies of gas stations and convenience stores using fake rubber gun.
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If enacted this summer, California’s mandate — the first in the world — would increase sales of electric or other zero-emission cars to 35% in 2026, and prohibit new gasoline or diesel cars by 2035.
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The petition, which was filed with a nationwide coalition of community groups, follows a study commissioned by Santa Clara County that found aviation gasoline emissions increase blood lead levels in children.
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The petition, which was filed with a nationwide coalition of community groups, follows a study commissioned by Santa Clara County that found aviation gasoline emissions increase blood lead levels in children.
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A Union City man admitted to robberies and attempted robberies of gas stations and convenience stores using fake rubber gun.
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Wait, what? Pollution from Green Industries? 😱😂
Elon Musk cannot wait until his new factory is fully built out and complete in Texas.
More proof that CA does not value Manufacturing Jobs that support a taxpaying Middle-class workforce. Stick to growing the ‘barista’ service class sector where workers cannot even support themselves, let alone pay the taxes that drive the CA Political Folly Machine.
From GM to NUMMI to Tesla – keep pushing manufacturing to “Free” states.
“Toyota’s decision to stop making cars in Fremont in March 2010 will idle 4,700 workers at the New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. factory and send a shudder of job losses through more than a thousand CA companies that supply parts to the only automotive plant on the West Coast.”
“It also estimated that Nummi supports an additional 18,800 jobs at more than 1,100 supply firms throughout the state with an indirect payroll of $904 million.”
“50,000 jobs may be hit – sources have estimated the Nummi effect as even higher, from 30,000 to as many as 50,000 jobs.”
250K or 250K per car?
is this just pass agg nonsense?
Patriot this was the federal government. Not the state of California. He woof have the same problems in Texas if he did not handle hazmat properly.
Neutrino, Yes EPA is Feds and if read till the end of the article Bay Area Air Quality Management District is State. And the EPA office / officials that ‘investigate’ and ‘determine’ if violations are occurring are based ‘in state’ – working closely with local officials. So if you believe that there is no cross-polinization that is your prerogative, but in almost all cases there is an interagency task force and usually only 1 of the agencies will enforce a fine or rule depending on the MOU in force.
— “U.S. EPA, CalEPA launch joint effort to strengthen environmental enforcement in communities overburdened by pollution” (September 10, 2021) —-
“New agreement will serve as model for other EPA and state partnerships on environmental justice”
read the press release – signed in Oakland CA – focused on environmental justice and equity…
Neutrino, Just to be clear – I don’t know the details of the violations besides listed above – that Tesla was ‘determined’ to have violated – and may well have. But, When the EPA adds SJW to its it basis for enforcement then I am more skeptical of the organizations impartiality.
“Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement with Tesla Motors Inc. EPA found Clean Air Act violations at their automobile manufacturing plant in Fremont, Calif. This settlement aligns with EPA’s National Compliance Initiative, Creating Cleaner Air for Communities by Reducing Excess Emissions of Harmful Pollutants. Under the settlement, Tesla agreed to pay a $275,000 penalty. […]
Tesla’s facility applied coating materials containing formaldehyde, ethylbenzene, naphthalene, and xylene.
Based on several information requests to Tesla, EPA determined that the company violated federal Clean Air Act regulations known as National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Surface Coating of Automobiles and Light-Duty Trucks from October 2016 through September 2019”
https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/us-epa-settles-tesla-over-clean-air-act-violations-fremont-calif-facility
More evidence of the destructive power–and the destructive potential–of a large corporate business, if any were needed. In this case, the business is led by a sociopath…
https://www.sanjoseinside.com/news/chinas-jaded-techies-find-a-hero-in-elon-musk/#comment-1698314
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