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Residents urge Travis County to reconsider Tesla tax rebates, cite safety and environmental violations
Summary
Multiple Travis County residents told the Commissioners Court during public comment that Tesla has not met contract requirements for the Gigafactory and urged the court to cancel or withhold tax rebates, citing workplace deaths, OSHA and TCEQ citations, and environmental harms.
Dozens of Travis County residents used the court’s public-comment period on Sept. 9 to urge commissioners to stop or rescind tax rebates awarded to the Tesla Gigafactory, saying the company has not met obligations in its 2020 agreement and has harmed workers and the environment.
Speakers described safety incidents, regulatory citations and alleged misconduct at Tesla’s Austin-area plant. “Tesla has broken its promises,” said Ethan McBride, who told the court the company “slaved away in life-threatening 100 degree heat” while a plant furnace was broken and alleged that workers hid the issue from regulators. Christina DeStefano, who…
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