Musk’s Tunneling Company Fined $500K for Dumping Wastewater into Manholes

WEBVTT

X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:0

00:00.159 --> 00:03.049

The Boring Company, a tunneling firm founded by

Elon Musk,

00:03.289 --> 00:07.679

received a fine of about half a million dollars

for dumping wastewater at two sites across its

00:07.679 --> 00:11.409

Las Vegas project, Fortune reported.

Musk's company wants to build a network of

00:11.409 --> 00:14.170

tunnels beneath cities to decrease traffic

congestion.

00:14.329 --> 00:18.610

The company's website mentions that it has

received approval for 68 miles of tunnel and

00:18.610 --> 00:20.850

104 stations for its Vegas Loop.

00:21.090 --> 00:25.250

However, Clark County Water Reclamation

District reportedly caught the company dumping

00:25.250 --> 00:27.139

fluids and spoils into two manholes.

00:27.684 --> 00:31.725

And two on-site cleanouts.

A notice of violation cited by Fortune stated

00:31.725 --> 00:36.965

that the actions led to substantial damage and

required water agency crews to clean 12 cubic

00:36.965 --> 00:40.985

yards of mud, spoils, and solid waste from a

sewage treatment facility.

00:41.165 --> 00:44.884

Fortune reported that an anonymous complaint in

August tipped CCWRD.

00:45.034 --> 00:48.924

According to the agency, district inspectors

ordered the staff at the project site to stop

00:48.924 --> 00:52.764

releasing the fluids, but the staff refused.

Regulators stated that when inspectors

00:52.764 --> 00:57.560

reiterated their command the next day, Boring

Superintendent Filippo Fazzino disconnected the

00:57.560 --> 01:01.400

on-site cleanouts and later reattached them,

assuming the inspectors had left the property.

01:01.560 --> 01:05.559

A cease and desist letter cited by Fortune

claimed that Fazzino then falsely stated

01:05.559 --> 01:09.160

discharging began the previous night.

The letter suggested that Fazzino's claim,

01:09.309 --> 01:13.800

combined with refusal to stop during the first

inspection, proved the actions were knowing and

01:13.800 --> 01:19.110

intentional.

CCWRD issued Boring more than $493,000 in fines,

01:19.480 --> 01:21.680

including over $131,000 to address.

01:21.995 --> 01:24.745

The fluid dumping.

Fortune noted that the company agreed not to

01:24.745 --> 01:27.105

expand operations until meeting certain

conditions.

01:27.275 --> 01:30.875

A letter to the agency from Boring also

acknowledged the improper discharge of water

01:30.875 --> 01:35.355

into the sewer system, despite county rules

that require pre-treatment of water and fluids

01:35.355 --> 01:37.915

before disposal.

The drilling fluids and spoils seem to refer to

01:37.915 --> 01:41.154

a toxic liquid that accumulates at the bottom

of tunnels during drilling.

01:41.355 --> 01:44.985

The liquid can contain various chemicals that,

according to an OSHA report last year,

01:45.235 --> 01:47.754

have caused scarring to boring workers.

I'm Noel Biostein,

01:47.875 --> 01:48.974

this is manufacturing now.