U.S. electric car manufacturer Tesla is seeking to prevent a looming production stoppage at its German Gigafactory by contesting an assessment regarding exceeded wastewater levels, local media Stern reported on Tuesday.
The local water authority, Strausberg-Erkner Water Association (WSE), has proposed a vote among its member municipalities on whether to disconnect the factory in Gruenheidenear, near the capital city of Berlin, from the wastewater pipeline due to alleged excessive discharge of phosphorus and nitrogen, surpassing limits by six times.
According to the report, the WSE has already issued warnings about shutting Tesla’s sewage pipe, and mayors from 16 municipalities are currently voting on the decision. The voting initiation comes after the mayors visited the plant in Gruenheide last week.
In response, Tesla has commissioned a counter-assessment from its internal and external contract laboratories. The results, as reported by German media, showed significant deviations from the values provided by the WSE.
In March, production at the German gigafactory halted for nearly a week following an arson attack on a nearby power pylon. The plant manager initially estimated the damage at hundreds of millions of euros. ■
