**Tesla Under Scrutiny for Environmental Violations as Musk Prepares for Deregulation Role**

Recent revelations have surfaced regarding environmental violations at Tesla's manufacturing facilities in Austin, Texas, and Fremont, California. This comes amid the announcement of Elon Musk as a co-head of the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), dedicated to reducing regulatory restrictions.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Tesla's Austin plant has been releasing toxic pollutants due to malfunctioning equipment, notably a giant casting furnace door that failed to close properly. This malfunction has resulted in heightened emissions and potentially hazardous working conditions. Internal emails and interviews with former employees, obtained by the Journal, suggest that Tesla was aware of these issues but chose to implement temporary fixes in order to sustain production rates. Employees reportedly expressed concerns about job security if they were to bring up these environmental issues.

Additionally, Tesla's Fremont, California, plant has been flagged for numerous air pollution violations over the past five years, trailing only a Chevron refinery in the state.

As Musk takes on his new role in the DOGE department, which he co-chairs along with Vivek Ramaswamy, questions arise about the future of environmental regulations impacting his businesses. This initiative, supported by President-elect Donald Trump, aims to reduce federal inefficiencies and streamline government operations. Musk has previously referred to the prospective DOGE department as a "garbage collection of rules that don't make sense," reflecting his broader philosophy on deregulation and efficiency.

While Musk's approach has spurred innovation within his enterprises, it has also stirred tension with regulatory bodies and labor unions. The balance between maintaining environmental safeguards and achieving operational efficiency remains a contentious issue as Tesla continues to grow.