Production stop imminent

Germany: Too much pollution from Tesla factory?

Tesla wants to expand the plant in Grünheide even further.(Bild: APA/dpa/Patrick Pleul)

It was only at the end of January that the Tesla factory in the German state of Brandenburg had to stop production for two weeks. The reason at the time was a gap in the supply chain for components as a result of attacks by Yemeni Houthi rebels in the Red Sea. Now the plant is facing another involuntary break. The responsible water board is alarmed by excessive levels of pollutants in the wastewater.

Measurements are said to have shown that far too much phosphorus and total nitrogen (sum of inorganic and organic nitrogen, note) has been discharged into the wastewater system in Grünheide, where the factory is located, for around two years. According to reports by the news magazine "Stern" and RTL Exklusiv, six times the permitted limit has been reached in some cases. In a letter, the Straußberg-Erkner water association called on all mayors in the region to turn off Tesla's wastewater pipes.

Tesla: Have their own treatment plant
In a written response to the allegations, a spokeswoman for the plant told the news channel ntv that the German branch of the US car manufacturer has its own wastewater treatment plant. Only waste water from the sanitary facilities and the company kitchen is fed into the municipal network. Berliner Wasserbetriebe stated that the drinking water was not contaminated.

Reports of further breaches of environmental regulations
The Tesla plant in Grünheide had already caused a stir in the past due to alleged violations of occupational health and safety and environmental regulations. The magazine "Stern" claims to have uncovered serious industrial accidents and the seepage of hundreds of liters of oil into the ground.