TCEQ investigating complaints against Boring Company but Bastrop County official not concerned

While Elon Musk's The Boring Company is moving ahead with projects in Central Texas, its drilling site in Bastrop County has drawn the ire of neighbors and is now being looked at by the state's environmental agency. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality confirmed in late April that it has received three complaints about wastewater and concrete production at the Boring Co. site at 130 Walker-Watson Road, about 8 miles northwest of downtown Bastrop, and has launched a pair of investigations. It was not clear who made the complaints or what the severity was of any potential issues being examined, but the agency does have the power to levy fines and stop work should it find environmental violations. A spokeswoman for TCEQ said the agency is not able to provide additional information at this point, adding that it aims to complete investigations within 60 days.

Boring Co. did not respond to a request for comment. But the investigation does not concern Bastrop County Commissioner Mel Hamner, whose precinct includes the Boring Co. site. "I don't think TCEQ is going to find anything," Hamner said, adding that Boring Co. has been well within county regulations every time officials have met with the company or have been on site. It marks another potential spat between neighbors and the company, which has moved its headquarters to Pflugerville and recently announced $675 million in funding. Boring Co. wants to dig transit tunnels in urban areas across the United States, aiming to alleviate traffic and free up real estate traditionally dedicated to surface roads. It has opened a tunnel in Nevada where riders can hop in Teslas and travel to the Las Vegas Convention Center. The company also this week was approved to begin engineering work for a potential pedestrian tunnel in Kyle, an initial step toward the first public Boring Co. project in the Austin metro.