A consortium comprising 25 California counties has filed a lawsuit against Tesla (TSLA.O), alleging mismanagement of hazardous waste at its facilities scattered across the state.
The legal action, initiated by counties including Los Angeles, Alameda, San Joaquin, and San Francisco, was lodged on Tuesday in California state court. The lawsuit seeks civil penalties and an injunction mandating Tesla to adopt proper waste management practices in the future.
As of now, Tesla has not issued a response to the lawsuit.
The counties assert that Tesla has violated California’s unfair business and hazardous waste management regulations by inaccurately categorizing waste and disposing of it in landfills not equipped to handle hazardous materials. Under California’s hazardous waste management legislation, potential civil penalties can soar to $70,000 per violation per day.
The waste materials implicated in the lawsuit encompass a range of substances such as paint materials, brake fluids, used batteries, antifreeze, and diesel fuel, according to the counties.
The legal action alleges infractions at approximately 101 facilities, including Tesla’s manufacturing plant in Fremont. However, spokespeople for the counties have yet to furnish additional specifics about the case.
This is not the first instance of Tesla encountering scrutiny over its hazardous waste management practices. In 2019, the company settled with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over purported federal hazardous waste infringements at its Fremont plant. As part of the settlement, Tesla committed to implementing measures to appropriately manage waste at the facility and agreed to pay a $31,000 penalty.
Subsequently, in 2022, Tesla entered into another agreement with the EPA, where it consented to a $275,000 fine following the agency’s allegations of inadequate record-keeping and failure to implement measures aimed at reducing air pollutants from painting operations at the Fremont plant.
