埃隆·马斯克旗下隧道公司Boring Company上周收到的违规通知显示，县环境监管机构对其处以近50万美元罚款。处罚事由为该公司向拉斯维加斯周边检查井倾倒“钻井液”，对全县基础设施造成“重大损害”。
克拉克县污水管理局（CCWRD）在违规通知中指出，今年夏天，当督察员抵达该公司位于市中心附近的工程现场，并责令其停止倾倒行为时，该公司员工拒不执行。次日，勒令停止通知函显示，该公司经理在“误以为督察员已离开现场”后，“佯装遵守规定”，实则继续排放废水。据《财富》杂志通过信息公开申请获得的违规通知书，由于该公司在两处工程现场排放废水，污水管理局工作人员最终不得不从其中一座污水处理设施中清理出12立方码（约合9立方米）的“钻井泥浆、钻井废料及各类固体废物”。
违规通知中提及的钻井液和废料，疑似该公司机械钻穿土层岩层时，在隧道底部积聚的有毒液体。这类液体可能含有多种化学物质，包括MasterRoc AGA 41S。已有多名该公司员工因皮肤直接接触这些化学物质而被灼伤。
此次新增罚款与指控是Boring Company近期引发的最新争议。该公司正在拉斯维加斯地下修建隧道网络（据称将成为特斯拉汽车快速通行的“地下高速公路”），但此前已多次被员工及监管机构指控规避安全规程或相关法规。
克拉克县污水管理局指出，该公司的行为违反了联邦法律法规，因此对其处以493297.08美元罚款，其中131297.08美元用于补偿该机构处理倾倒液体产生的支出。根据违规通知书，该机构称罚款依据是“违规行为性质恶劣、对区基础设施造成重大损害、应对违规事件投入紧急资源，以及[Boring Company]承认违规责任”。《财富》杂志通过另一项信息公开申请获得的文件显示，过去三年间，该机构仅对另一家企业开出过超过10万美元的废水排放罚单。
违规记录显示，9月底，Boring Company多名高管与克拉克县污水管理局参加了一场听证会，该公司承认相关责任，并同意“在满足特定条件前”，不再将钻探业务扩展至新区域。
Boring Company未对多次置评请求作出回应。拉斯维加斯会议及旅游局（付费委托该公司运营会议中心地下隧道系统）的发言人表示，该机构仍在审核相关文件，拒绝进一步置评。
克拉克县污水管理局称，8月12日收到匿名投诉后，该机构开始对倾倒事件展开调查。文件显示，该机构督察员实地勘察后证实，钻井液及废料正“持续”排入两处现场清理口（连接污水管道的带盖管件）及两个检查井，导致“本区基础设施遭受严重破坏”。污水管理局督察员要求该公司员工停止倾倒行为时，“该公司员工拒不执行”。
次日（8月14日），督察员再度返回现场，再次责令该公司员工停止排放行为。克拉克县污水管理局称，该公司的项目主管菲利波·法齐诺（Filippo Fazzino）“佯装遵守规定”，拆除了现场清理口的连接装置，但监管机构在当天稍晚时候发给该公司的勒令停止通知函中指出，法齐诺“在误认为督察员离开现场后”立即重新安装装置恢复排放。
“值得注意的是，法齐诺先生试图淡化排放规模，谎称排放仅始于前一晚——这与县监管机构前一日的检查记录不符。Boring Company在被当场发现后，仍公然拒绝停止非法排放，加之其代表向督察员作出虚假陈述，足以证明该公司的行为是明知故犯、蓄意为之。”勒令停止通知函中写道。
法齐诺未对多次置评请求作出回应。
第二次检查次日（8月15日），Boring Company向克拉克县污水管理局提交信函。其法务总监承认“污水未按规定排入污水系统”，并表示公司已启动调查并采取相应措施，包括物理断开部分污水连接管道及封堵隧道渗漏点。
一名不愿透露姓名、担心遭到报复的Boring Company现任员工向《财富》杂志证实，根据县相关规定，公司需对废水和工业液体进行预处理后排放，但该公司员工却未进行预处理，直接将其排入污水系统。
Boring Company成立于2017年，是马斯克众多“登月计划”中曝光度较低的一家，但其雄心丝毫不逊于火箭初创企业SpaceX或脑机接口公司Neuralink。该公司的构想是通过在城市地下挖掘隧道，利用自动驾驶特斯拉汽车运送乘客，从而解决交通拥堵问题。PitchBook数据显示，Boring Company已从红杉资本（Sequoia Capital）等硅谷顶级投资机构筹集超9亿美元资金，但项目建设屡屡延期，且多次发生员工安全事故。
Boring Company在内华达州的进展最为突出——拉斯维加斯会议中心地下一条4英里（约合6千米）长的隧道，是目前马斯克愿景唯一落地的实例。但该公司多次与该州监管机构产生摩擦。据ProPublica率先报道，9月，内华达州水污染控制局对该公司处以近25万美元罚款，原因是其在过去两年内违反环保法规近800次，包括将未经处理的地下水泄漏至公共道路且未向有关部门报告。事实上，Boring Company曾在2022年因类似违规行为与该监管机构达成和解协议。
《财富》杂志2024年4月报道称，2023年6月，Boring Company在寻找灌溉管道时，意外暴露支撑拉斯维加斯高架单轨列车的两根立柱基座。监管机构随即勒令正在运行的单轨列车停运一天，数月后，Boring Company员工又暴露了另一根立柱基座。克拉克县针对这两起事件开出三项违规通知，指控该公司无证施工且造成潜在安全隐患。（该公司当时未回应置评请求；拉斯维加斯会议及旅游局表示，“该公司当时正在维修破损灌溉管道，无意中暴露单轨列车地基，我们已采取包括停运一天在内的合理修复措施。”）
此外，Boring Company还多次接受内华达州职业安全与健康管理局的调查，包括2023年收到的八项违规指控，该公司目前仍在对此提出申诉。根据这些指控，多名员工曾因接触隧道积液中的化学物质而被灼伤。（该公司否认这些违规指控，并将在即将举行的听证会上为自己辩护。）（*）
译者：中慧言-王芳
埃隆·马斯克旗下隧道公司Boring Company上周收到的违规通知显示，县环境监管机构对其处以近50万美元罚款。处罚事由为该公司向拉斯维加斯周边检查井倾倒“钻井液”，对全县基础设施造成“重大损害”。
克拉克县污水管理局（CCWRD）在违规通知中指出，今年夏天，当督察员抵达该公司位于市中心附近的工程现场，并责令其停止倾倒行为时，该公司员工拒不执行。次日，勒令停止通知函显示，该公司经理在“误以为督察员已离开现场”后，“佯装遵守规定”，实则继续排放废水。据《财富》杂志通过信息公开申请获得的违规通知书，由于该公司在两处工程现场排放废水，污水管理局工作人员最终不得不从其中一座污水处理设施中清理出12立方码（约合9立方米）的“钻井泥浆、钻井废料及各类固体废物”。
违规通知中提及的钻井液和废料，疑似该公司机械钻穿土层岩层时，在隧道底部积聚的有毒液体。这类液体可能含有多种化学物质，包括MasterRoc AGA 41S。已有多名该公司员工因皮肤直接接触这些化学物质而被灼伤。
此次新增罚款与指控是Boring Company近期引发的最新争议。该公司正在拉斯维加斯地下修建隧道网络（据称将成为特斯拉汽车快速通行的“地下高速公路”），但此前已多次被员工及监管机构指控规避安全规程或相关法规。
克拉克县污水管理局指出，该公司的行为违反了联邦法律法规，因此对其处以493297.08美元罚款，其中131297.08美元用于补偿该机构处理倾倒液体产生的支出。根据违规通知书，该机构称罚款依据是“违规行为性质恶劣、对区基础设施造成重大损害、应对违规事件投入紧急资源，以及[Boring Company]承认违规责任”。《财富》杂志通过另一项信息公开申请获得的文件显示，过去三年间，该机构仅对另一家企业开出过超过10万美元的废水排放罚单。
违规记录显示，9月底，Boring Company多名高管与克拉克县污水管理局参加了一场听证会，该公司承认相关责任，并同意“在满足特定条件前”，不再将钻探业务扩展至新区域。
Boring Company未对多次置评请求作出回应。拉斯维加斯会议及旅游局（付费委托该公司运营会议中心地下隧道系统）的发言人表示，该机构仍在审核相关文件，拒绝进一步置评。
克拉克县污水管理局称，8月12日收到匿名投诉后，该机构开始对倾倒事件展开调查。文件显示，该机构督察员实地勘察后证实，钻井液及废料正“持续”排入两处现场清理口（连接污水管道的带盖管件）及两个检查井，导致“本区基础设施遭受严重破坏”。污水管理局督察员要求该公司员工停止倾倒行为时，“该公司员工拒不执行”。
次日（8月14日），督察员再度返回现场，再次责令该公司员工停止排放行为。克拉克县污水管理局称，该公司的项目主管菲利波·法齐诺（Filippo Fazzino）“佯装遵守规定”，拆除了现场清理口的连接装置，但监管机构在当天稍晚时候发给该公司的勒令停止通知函中指出，法齐诺“在误认为督察员离开现场后”立即重新安装装置恢复排放。
“值得注意的是，法齐诺先生试图淡化排放规模，谎称排放仅始于前一晚——这与县监管机构前一日的检查记录不符。Boring Company在被当场发现后，仍公然拒绝停止非法排放，加之其代表向督察员作出虚假陈述，足以证明该公司的行为是明知故犯、蓄意为之。”勒令停止通知函中写道。
法齐诺未对多次置评请求作出回应。
第二次检查次日（8月15日），Boring Company向克拉克县污水管理局提交信函。其法务总监承认“污水未按规定排入污水系统”，并表示公司已启动调查并采取相应措施，包括物理断开部分污水连接管道及封堵隧道渗漏点。
一名不愿透露姓名、担心遭到报复的Boring Company现任员工向《财富》杂志证实，根据县相关规定，公司需对废水和工业液体进行预处理后排放，但该公司员工却未进行预处理，直接将其排入污水系统。
Boring Company成立于2017年，是马斯克众多“登月计划”中曝光度较低的一家，但其雄心丝毫不逊于火箭初创企业SpaceX或脑机接口公司Neuralink。该公司的构想是通过在城市地下挖掘隧道，利用自动驾驶特斯拉汽车运送乘客，从而解决交通拥堵问题。PitchBook数据显示，Boring Company已从红杉资本（Sequoia Capital）等硅谷顶级投资机构筹集超9亿美元资金，但项目建设屡屡延期，且多次发生员工安全事故。
Boring Company在内华达州的进展最为突出——拉斯维加斯会议中心地下一条4英里（约合6千米）长的隧道，是目前马斯克愿景唯一落地的实例。但该公司多次与该州监管机构产生摩擦。据ProPublica率先报道，9月，内华达州水污染控制局对该公司处以近25万美元罚款，原因是其在过去两年内违反环保法规近800次，包括将未经处理的地下水泄漏至公共道路且未向有关部门报告。事实上，Boring Company曾在2022年因类似违规行为与该监管机构达成和解协议。
《财富》杂志2024年4月报道称，2023年6月，Boring Company在寻找灌溉管道时，意外暴露支撑拉斯维加斯高架单轨列车的两根立柱基座。监管机构随即勒令正在运行的单轨列车停运一天，数月后，Boring Company员工又暴露了另一根立柱基座。克拉克县针对这两起事件开出三项违规通知，指控该公司无证施工且造成潜在安全隐患。（该公司当时未回应置评请求；拉斯维加斯会议及旅游局表示，“该公司当时正在维修破损灌溉管道，无意中暴露单轨列车地基，我们已采取包括停运一天在内的合理修复措施。”）
此外，Boring Company还多次接受内华达州职业安全与健康管理局的调查，包括2023年收到的八项违规指控，该公司目前仍在对此提出申诉。根据这些指控，多名员工曾因接触隧道积液中的化学物质而被灼伤。（该公司否认这些违规指控，并将在即将举行的听证会上为自己辩护。）（*）
译者：中慧言-王芳
A county environmental regulator has fined Boring Company, Elon Musk’s tunneling venture, nearly $500,000 after the company dumped “drilling fluids” into manholes around Las Vegas, which led to “substantial damage” to the broader county’s infrastructure, according to a notice of violation sent to the company last week.
Clark County Water Reclamation District (CCWRD) claims that, this summer, Boring Company employees refused to stop dumping drilling fluids when inspectors arrived at its project site near the center of town and directed them to stop, according to the violation. The next day, Boring apparently “feigned compliance” only to continue dumping the wastewater after a company manager “assumed district inspectors had departed the property,” according to a cease-and-desist letter. CCWRD says that its crews ultimately had to clean 12 cubic yards of “drilling mud, drilling spoils, and miscellaneous solid waste” from one of its sewage treatment facilities due to Boring’s discharges across two of its project sites, according to the notice of violation, which was obtained by Fortune via a records request.
The drilling fluids and spoils noted in the citation appear to refer to the toxic liquid that collects in the bottom of the tunnels as Boring’s machinery drills through earth and rock—liquid which can contain a variety of chemicals including MasterRoc AGA 41S. Many Boring workers have gotten burned by these chemicals when their skin was directly exposed to them.
The new fines and allegations are the latest controversy to flare up around Boring Company. The company has on several occasions been accused by employees and regulators of skirting safety protocols or regulations as it constructs a network of tunnels below Las Vegas that the company says will serve as an “underground highway” for Teslas to zip through.
The Clark County water agency said that Boring Company’s actions had violated federal laws and regulations, and told Boring it was issuing $493,297.08 in fines, including $131,297.08 for the district’s expenses to remedy the fluid dumping. CCWRD said the fine was due to “the egregious nature of the violations, the substantial damage to district infrastructure, the district emergency resources expended responding to the Violations, and [Boring Company’s] acknowledgement of responsibility for the Violations,” according to the notice of violation. CCWRD has only issued a fine greater than $100,000 to one other company for wastewater discharge in the last three years, according to other documents obtained by Fortune in a separate records request.
The violation records show that several Boring Company executives attended a hearing with CCWRD at the end of September and that Boring Company acknowledged responsibility and agreed not to expand Boring’s operations to new drilling locations “until certain conditions were met.”
Boring Company did not respond to multiple requests for comment. A spokeswoman for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, which pays Boring to operate the tunnel system below the Convention Center, said the agency was still reviewing the documents and declined to comment further.
CCWRD says the agency began to look into the dumpings after an anonymous complaint that was sent to the state’s environmental regulator on Aug. 12. Inspectors at CCWRD went out to the project site and confirmed that drilling fluids and spoils were “actively” being discharged into two on-site cleanouts (capped pipe fittings that connect to sewer lines), as well as into two manholes, and that there was “extensive damage to the District’s infrastructure” as a result, according to the documents. CCWRD says that “TBC staff refused” to stop dumping the fluids when inspectors told them to stop.
The next day, on Aug. 14, inspectors returned and again instructed Boring Company employees to stop discharging. CCWRD says that Boring’s superintendent, Filippo Fazzino, “feigned compliance” and removed connections to on-site cleanouts, but the regulator says that he immediately replaced them “after he assumed District inspectors had departed the Property,” according to a cease-and-desist letter that was sent to Boring later that day.
“Notably, Mr. Fazzino attempted to minimize the extent of the discharge by falsely claiming that the discharge was initiated only the night before—contrary to the District’s inspection records from the day prior. TBC’s brazen refusal to stop its illicit discharges after being caught in the act, coupled with TBC’s representative’s false statements to District inspectors, proves TBC’s activities to be knowing and intentional,” the cease-and-desist letter wrote.
Fazzino did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
In a letter Boring sent to CCWRD Aug. 15, the day after the second inspection, Boring’s director of legal affairs acknowledged that “water was improperly discharged to the sewer system,” that it was investigating the matter, and that the company had taken certain actions as a result, including physically disconnecting certain sewage connections and sealing leaks in its tunnels.
One current Boring Company employee, who spoke with Fortune on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, confirmed that, while the company is required under county rules to pretreat water and fluids before disposing of it, Boring Co. workers were pumping it directly into the sewage system without pretreating it.
Founded in 2017, the Boring Company is a lower-profile venture in Musk’s empire of moonshots, though no less ambitious than his rocket startup SpaceX or brain chip operation Neuralink. The idea for Boring is to eliminate traffic by digging tunnels below cities that can shuttle passengers with autonomous Teslas. Boring has raised more than $900 million in funding from some of Silicon Valley’s top investment firms such as Sequoia Capital, according to PitchBook, though it has struggled with delays and employee safety incidents.
Boring has made the most progress in Nevada, where a 4-mile stretch underneath the Las Vegas Convention Center is currently the lone working example of Musk’s vision. But the company has had several brushes with regulators in the state. In September, Nevada’s Bureau of Water Pollution Control fined the company nearly $250,000 for violating environmental regulations nearly 800 times in the last two years, including for spilling untreated groundwater onto public roads and not reporting it to authorities, ProPublica first reported. Boring had previously entered into a settlement agreement in 2022 with the regulator for similar violations.
In June 2023, Boring Co. exposed the foundations of two pillars supporting Las Vegas’s elevated monorail while searching for an irrigation pipe, Fortune reported in April 2024. Regulators ordered the active monorail to temporarily halt operations for a day, with Boring workers exposing the base of another column a few months later. Clark County issued three violations related to the two incidents, accusing Boring Co. of doing work without a permit and creating a potential hazard. (Boring Company, at the time, didn’t respond to a request for comment. The LVCVA said that “TBC was fixing a broken irrigation line and inadvertently exposed a Monorail foundation, so we took the correct steps to repair that, including pausing operations for a day.”)
Boring has also dealt with investigations from Nevada’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, including eight citations in 2023 that Boring is still contesting. According to those citations, many employees have been burned by the chemicals in the liquid that pools up in Boring’s tunnels. (Boring is disputing these violations and will defend itself in an upcoming hearing)