- Tesla has been sued over allegations it mishandled hazardous waste in California.
- District attorneys allege Elon Musk’s company disposed of waste at the wrong trash sites.
- Tesla has said it’s addressing its waste management programs.
Tesla was hit with a lawsuit on Tuesday that alleges the electric-car maker mishandled hazardous waste at its factories in California.
District attorneys representing 25 counties in California filed the lawsuit in San Joaquin County Court and are requesting the court force Tesla to properly take care of its hazardous waste going forward and pay a series of civil penalties.
Reuters was the first to report on the legal filing and said Tesla could face penalties as high as $70,000 for each violation per day.
Tesla disposed of hazardous waste into trash sites “not permitted to accept hazardous waste” and “failed to properly mark, label, and store containers and tanks of hazardous waste” at its facilities, according to the lawsuit.
The waste included things like oil, paint, and used batteries — materials that could make their way into the groundwater if not properly disposed of, according to the lawsuit.