Cooking & Baking

Elon Musk company accused of nearly 800 environmental violations
Nevada could’ve fined the company more than $3 million, but regulators are seeking a reduced penalty of $242,800

In the past, Musk has espoused paying penalties rather than waiting for approvals as a way of doing business.

​​“Environmental regulations are, in my view, largely terrible,” he said at an event with the libertarian Cato Institute last year. “You have to get permission in advance, as opposed to, say, paying a penalty if you do something wrong, which I think would be much more effective.”

Neither Musk nor Boring responded to requests for comment for this story.

Because it is privately funded and receives no federal money, the project is exempt from many exhaustive governmental vetting and environmental analysis requirements. But it is required to obtain state permits to ensure the waste does not contaminate the environment or local water sources.