The Boring Company, owned by Elon Musk, has applied for a permit to dump treated wastewater into the Colorado River in Texas. Residents are trying to oppose the move.
Elon Musk is rarely out of the news, and this week he is facing backlash from concerned Texans.
Last year, The Boring Company tunnel-building venture owned by Musk and headquartered in Texas applied for a state permit last year under an affiliate name, Gapped Bass LLC. They requested permission to dispose of approximately 142,500 gallons of treated wastewater per day from its facility in Bastrop into the Colorado River.
The local community is understandably unhappy with this, and this week a resident Chap Ambrose launched a campaign to "Keep Bastrop Boring."
On Tuesday, concerned residents met with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Boring Company to voice their displeasure. Musk was not in attendance at the meeting.
"We have a well and we take baths and we drink that water every day. So, if there's a problem, I need to know quickly." Chap Ambrose
"The City of Bastrop, like all municipalities, would prefer wastewater to be treated at state-of-the-art treatment plants, and it just so happens the City of Bastrop has one under construction," Mayor of Bastrop, Connie Schroder
It is not the first time Musk, and his companies have run afoul of locals in Texas.
Last year the Boring Company was served with two violation notices for illegally handling wastewater, while in 2021, residents in Boca Chica sued SpaceX over claims its rocket tests have caused public beaches to be continually closed.
Ironically, as the story spread, many Texans took to Twitter, also owned by Elon Musk, to criticize the company.
A decision by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality on whether to approve the permit is not expected for a few months.
Your thoughts
Do you believe the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality should approve the permit? Are you surprised Elon Musk seeks to dump wastewater into the Colorado River? Would you like to see stricter environmental governance enforced on businesses?
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