- The Environmental Democracy Project said it has filed a “citizen” lawsuit under the Clean Air Act.
- The nonprofit wants an injunction to halt excess pollution, plus civil fines of up to $121,275 per day per violation of the Clean Air Act.
The Environmental Democracy Project said it has filed a “citizen” lawsuit under the Clean Air Act because Tesla “has violated or is in violation of conditions imposed by an operating permit for major sources of pollution.”
The case is Environmental Democracy Project v Tesla Inc et al., US District Court, Northern District of California, No. 24-02888.
The Environmental Democracy Project accused Elon Musk’s electric car company of violating the federal Clean Air Act hundreds of times by letting its Fremont, California, plant emit harmful pollutants.
In a complaint filed yesterday, the Environmental Democracy Project said Tesla had exposed nearby residents and workers to excessive nitrogen oxides, arsenic, cadmium, and other harmful chemicals since January 2021, mainly through its paint shop operations.
The nonprofit wants an injunction to halt excess pollution, plus civil fines of up to $121,275 per day per violation of the Clean Air Act.
On May 2, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District said it wanted an independent hearing board to order Tesla to reduce harmful emissions from its paint shop operations.
It said that Tesla’s emissions abatement system breaks down “repeatedly,” and the automaker has since 2019 racked up ii2 notices of violation, each accounting for as much as 750 pounds of illegal air pollution.