
Thursday 28, September
Leaks, spills and fires: Environmental concerns at Giga Berlin
When Tesla built its massive Giga factory outside Berlin in Grünheide a year and a half ago, opinion in the city was decidedly mixed. Was this a bold move towards an environmentally friendly future of green vehicle manufacturing, or an ill thought-out project from a billionaire with a poor record of adhering to safety regulations? This latest news will probably strengthen the latter case, with Tesla reporting 26 environmental accidents in the Grünheide plant since work began on the site.

So what kind of accidents are we talking about? According to reporting in the Tagespiegel, separate incidents have seen the leak of 15,000 litres of paint; 150 litres of diesel and 13 tons of aluminium being spilled; and a fire caused by a shredded battery being dumped in a wooden transport box, leading to 300 litres of extinguishing fluid seeping into the ground. Given that the factory is located in a water-protection area, this is pretty concerning.
The company is rejecting concerns, however, stating that none of these accidents count as major incidents under the Federal Emissions Control Act.