Operating in the shadows below the Las Vegas Strip has not shielded Elon Musk’s The Boring Co. from a fresh inquiry regarding the environmental, health, and safety infringements it has allegedly made while building the Vegas Loop transit system. 

Originally intended as a transit system linking various parts of the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Vegas Loop is now growing to span 68 miles with 104 stops from the airport to downtown. It comprises individual Tesla vehicles carrying 2-3 passengers simultaneously at an average speed of 30 mph. 

Primarily relying on Freedom of Information Act inquiries, the inquiry, written by reporters Daniel Rothberg and Dayvid Figler for ProPublica, discovered multiple previously unreported breaches of construction and environmental rules by Boring, including: 

• A 2019 citation for releasing groundwater into storm drains without proper authorization, leading to a $90K penalty from the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection. 
• In 2022, local officials issued a citation for unauthorized sewer connection, but no fine was imposed. 
• A 2023 discovery by Clark County revealed that Boring excavated without permits on county land, after which the county permitted the company to apply for the permits retroactively and pay a $900 penalty for each. 
• A 2024 infraction occurred due to an unsecured Boring truck that released hazardous materials on I-15 — causing a four-hour closure during peak hours — resulting in a mere $75 fine (without a K) for the driver. 

ProPublica's inquiry also revealed a video, recorded by a Clark County Water Reclamation District worker, depicting wastewater flowing from a Vegas Loop construction location onto the road close to UNLV this June, along with a similar report from a Las Vegas Water District employee in August. 

The county addressed both complaints by sending cease-and-desist letters but did not impose any fines. 

These violations add to the eight serious safety violations that the Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) previously reported in 2023. In that situation, 15-20 Boring workers suffered severe skin burns from toxic chemicals during the hose connection. (OSHA characterizes “serious” violations as linked to a “significant likelihood that death or severe physical injury may happen.”) 

Boring received a $112K fine for those infractions. 

Okay with Him 

Naturally, for the wealthiest person in the world, particularly when he aims to demonstrate his ability to deliver on his commitments, fines of $90K and $112K are simply small change. 

ProPublica discovered that The Boring Co. persists in breaching regulations — and incurring penalties for it — supported by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), the semi-governmental marketing body with which it signed a contract to collaborate on the Vegas Loop in 2019. (The Boring Co. oversees daily operations, whereas the LVCVA is involved in financing, strategic development, and offering the political backing required for Boring to reach its objectives.) 

“Environmental regulations are in my view largely terrible,” Musk said during  an inteview at a Buenos Aires political conference in June.

“You have to get permission in advance, as opposed to say, paying a penalty if you do something wrong, which I think would be much more effective,” he said. “To say, ‘Look, we’re going to do this project. If something goes wrong, then we’ll be forced to pay a penalty.’ But we do not need to go through a three- or four-year environmental approval process.”

Equally concerning is how the Vegas Loop has been able to bypass the typical public review process. ProPublica revealed that Musk's firm concealed itself with misleading pseudonyms that helped keep worried residents away from all pertinent Clark County Commission gatherings. 

When meeting agendas were released, they did not include “Boring Co.” or “Vegas Loop,” but rather LLCs with titles like UC-23-0126-HCI-CERBERUS 160 EAST FLAMINGO HOTEL OWNER L P, UC-20-0547-CLAUDINE PROPCO, LLC, and UC-20-0547-CIRCUS CIRCUS LV, LLC, ProPublica discovered. 

At present, five miles of the planned 68 miles for the Vegas Loop have been finished and are in operation.