Tesla faces massive legal battle as California counties sue for mishandling hazardous waste

In a significant legal development, multiple counties in California have filed a lawsuit against Tesla, the electric vehicle giant led by Elon Musk. The complaint asserts that Tesla has been negligently managing hazardous materials, particularly waste from its manufacturing facilities, causing a substantial environmental impact, according to a report by Reuters. The legal action, initiated in San Joaquin County Superior Court, claims that Tesla has consistently mishandled hazardous waste. Shockingly, the lawsuit reveals that the company allegedly mislabeled and improperly disposed of various materials such as lead acid batteries, other types of batteries, paints, brake fluid, aerosols, antifreeze, acetone, and diesel fuel at its production and service facilities across the state. Furthermore, the lawsuit alleges that Tesla exhibited carelessness in waste disposal, frequently discarding toxic materials in landfills ill-equipped to process them. District attorneys in each of the 25 affected counties are now seeking an injunction to compel Tesla to adopt proper waste management practices, along with other penalties, including a $70,000 fine per violation. This legal battle follows Tesla’s acknowledgement in a 2022 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it was under investigation by district attorney offices across California regarding its waste management practices. The company claimed to have implemented remedial measures, including training, audits, and enhancements to its waste management programs. In October 2023, Tesla disclosed that it was in settlement talks with the district attorney offices involved in the investigation. However, the lawsuit suggests that these discussions concluded without a resolution. Representatives for the San Francisco and San Joaquin District Attorney’s offices, leading the investigation, have not provided immediate information on the outcome of the settlement talks. This is not the first time Tesla has faced scrutiny over its environmental practices in California. In 2019, the company settled with the Environmental Protection Agency for various violations at its Fremont, California factory, including hazardous waste labelling, resulting in a $31,000 fine and a $55,000 expenditure for emergency response equipment. Additionally, in 2022, Tesla paid a $275,000 fine for Clean Air Act violations at the same factory, highlighting the ongoing challenges the company faces in meeting environmental standards. (With inputs from agencu)