Musk makes Texas even more toxic than it is...
Texas welcomed Elon Musk. Now his rural neighbors aren’t so sure.
While happy for the investment, local residents don’t trust Musk’s companies to properly handle wastewater, erosion and other issues
By Jeanne Whalen
BASTROP COUNTY, Tex. — Chap Ambrose has always been a fan of Elon Musk. He spent $100 to join the waiting list for Tesla’s first pickup in 2019 and bought internet service from Musk’s satellite provider.
But then the billionaire’s companies moved in next door to the computer programmer, who works from his rural, hilltop home.
Two years later, massive construction sites and large white warehouses have taken over the green pastures where cattle used to graze. Semis barrel up and down the narrow country roads. And the companies — rocket manufacturer SpaceX and tunneling company Boring — are seeking state permission to dump treated wastewater into the nearby Colorado River.
“I just have no faith that the leadership there values the environment and these shared resources,” said Ambrose, who leads a group of local residents pushing Musk’s companies to slow down and address concerns about the environmental risks of the development. “I would say, I’m still a fan [of Elon], but I want him to do better here and be a good neighbor.”
The backlash in Bastrop, a largely rural county 30 minutes east of Austin, shows the dust Musk is kicking up as he builds a new empire in Texas. His companies are spending billions of dollars on campuses across the state, from SpaceX’s rocket launchpad on the Gulf of Mexico to a giant Tesla factory in Austin producing 5,000 Model Ys a week.
Earlier this month, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) praised the billionaire as the two broke ground on a lithium refinery Tesla is building near Corpus Christi to bolster the company’s supply of batteries for electric vehicles. “There is no greater entrepreneur in the entire world than Elon Musk,” the governor said.
Standing in front of a Cybertruck decorated with U.S. and Texas flags, Musk thanked the state for supporting him and helping him move fast.
“That’s how we do things,” said Musk, who commandeered the spotlight this past week for hosting a Twitter Spaces discussion with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who announced his presidential bid.
Even as he wins accolades for bringing thousands of jobs and high-tech industries to Texas, cementing his status as a powerhouse in the state, Musk is also weathering a barrage of complaints from critics and regulators who say he’s moving too fast.
more:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/05/28/elon-musk-texas-spacex-boring-bastrop/
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