Records of Elon Musk-led The Boring Co. officials' meeting with Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo's office reportedly vanished following discussions about the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) citations.
Citations Rescinded, Records Missing
OSHA imposed fines and citations worth upwards of $400,000 on the tunneling startup, following which a meeting was held between officials from the company and Lombardo's office, Fortune reported on Wednesday. The citations were rescinded following the meeting, but the records of the meeting also disappeared shortly after, the report said.
The Boring Co., OSHA, as well as the Nevada Governor's office didn't immediately respond to Benzinga's request for comment.
"There is a defined process, and we didn't follow it," an OSHA official cited in the report said anonymously, adding that the decision came from "above the agency."
Teri Williams, a spokesperson for OSHA and the Nevada State Department, cited in the report, blamed the disappearance on mistakes, adding that the citations did not meet legal requirements and shouldn't have been issued. Williams also said in the report that an amended case file with the line entry about the meeting has been added.
Permanent Scars, Lax Safety
The citations stem from two firefighters reporting an irritating sensation on their skin after a mock drill in the tunnels to practice for a rescue operation. They spent two hours in the tunnel. The firefighters' skin was permanently scarred, OSHA findings suggested.
"We weren't aware of the chemicals being hazardous," a firefighter cited in the report said, speaking about the muck fluid in the tunnels that reportedly disfigured the firefighters' skin.
An anonymous employee mentioned in the report said that workers made an effort to clean the muck fluid before the drill, but "constant flow coming out of the machine" made it difficult. The employee added that workers dealt with the fluid "on a daily basis."
Employees working with the company also complained about a lack of safety protocols and training, adding that cases of chemical burns happened "daily" on the site.
Boring Company Fined
The news comes as the tunneling startup was recently fined over $500,000 for dumping tunneling fluid into Las Vegas' manholes by the Clark County Water Reclamation District (CCWRD). The agency said that it had to clean up 12 cubic yards of drilling mud and other waste from one of its sewage treatment facilities due to the discharges.
Individualized Transport, Putin-Trump Tunnel
Meanwhile, the Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO recently floated the idea of "individualized mass transit" as the company comes closer to finishing the Las Vegas Convention Center Loop. The company is planning to construct over 68 miles of tunnels in Las Vegas, with over 55 stations planned in the completed Loop, as well as a proposed Dubai Loop.
"You can’t have 3D buildings and expect a 2D transport system to be effective!" Musk said, outlining that the fastest way to travel was via pods/cars in vacuum tunnels.
Elsewhere, a Russian official recently urged Musk to construct a “Putin-Trump” tunnel beneath the Bering Strait, linking Alaska and Russia, touting it as a “symbol of unity,” which would stretch over roughly 70 miles.
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