US fines electric car giant Tesla $1.5M for waste violations

A California judge ordered Tesla Inc. to pay $1.5 million as part of a settlement of a civil case alleging the company mishandled hazardous waste at its car service centres, energy centres and a factory, multiple county district attorneys announced.

The complaint filed in San Joaquin County alleged illegal disposal of hazardous waste and violation of laws involving storage and management of the waste, according to statements from several of the 25 district attorneys' offices in California involved in the case, which took place on Friday.

Tesla did not immediately respond to an Associated Press email seeking comment. The district attorneys' statements said Tesla cooperated with the investigation and acted to improve compliance with laws that were brought to its attention by the prosecutors.

“Electric vehicles play a role in environmental betterment, yet it’s imperative to recognize that their production and maintenance yield detrimental waste," said San Joaquin County District Attorney Ron Freitas.

Tesla owns and operates approximately 57 car service centres and 18 solar energy facilities in California, and manufactures electric vehicles in the San Francisco Bay Area city of Fremont.

The settlement includes $1.3 million in civil penalties, $200,000 to cover costs of the investigation, training of employees and third-party waste audits.