Tesla to pay $1.5 million for improperly disposing hazardous waste at its facilities

FREMONT, Calif. - A judge in San Joaquin County says Tesla will have to pay $1.5 million for illegally disposing of hazardous waste at its facilities, including its Fremont plant. The class action lawsuit included 25 counties from across the state, including eight right here in the Bay Area.

"Lawmakers have seen protecting the planet in most situations as being an important thing," said Lauren Weston, Acterra Executive Director. Acterra, a non-profit environmental action group, was not involved in the case.   

Prosecutors say Tesla illegally disposed of hazardous waste at its car service centers, energy centers, and its factory in Fremont. A lawsuit was filed in San Joaquin County and joined by 24 other County District Attorneys across the state, including San Francisco. Tesla has now been ordered to pay $1.3 million in civil penalties and $200,000 for the cost of the investigation.

"We hope that something like this is enough of a slap on the wrist that it curbs that behavior in the future," said Weston. 

Weston says she hopes the settlement is a model for other companies to abide by state regulations.

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins also released a statement, saying in part:

"Today’s settlement against Tesla, Inc. serves to provide a cleaner environment for citizens throughout the state by preventing the contamination of our precious natural resources…," Jenkins said.

The investigation began in 2018 when D.A. Jenkins conducted undercover inspections of Tesla’s trash bins at car service centers. Investigators found numerous items including batteries, oils, paint, brake cleaners, and electronic waste disposed of improperly. 

After the findings were revealed, other counties' D.A.s conducted inspections, found similar conditions, and joined the lawsuit.

"The process that manufacturers go through in creating cars can result in by-products and those by-products, if not disposed of properly, can cause harm to wildlife, fish life, drinking water, natural habitats. That affects all of us," Weston said. 

For the next five years, Tesla’s compliance measures will include properly training employees and holding yearly waste audits at 10 percent of its facilities. 

KTVU reached out to Tesla for comment, but they didn’t respond in time for this report.