--- title: "Environmentalist Group Files “Criminal Charges” Against Tesla, Accusing It of “Water Pollution”" description: "A German environmentalist group has just filed \"criminal charges\" against Tesla, accusing the company of \"suspected water pollution.\"" date: "2023-03-12" modified: "2023-03-12" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/environmentalists-criminal-charges-tesla" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Environment" - "Pollution" - "Science & Energy" - "Tesla" tags: - "germany" - "gigafactory berlin" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # Environmentalist Group Files “Criminal Charges” Against Tesla, Accusing It of “Water Pollution” ![A German environmentalist group has just filed "criminal charges" against Tesla, accusing the company of "suspected water pollution."]() *\Image: Tesla/Futurism\* ## Criminal Charges A German environmentalist group just filed "criminal charges" against Tesla, accusing the company of "suspected water pollution and a possible environmental crime" at its Gigafactory in Berlin, [*Electrek* reports](). It's the latest entry in a long saga of the EV maker butting heads with environmentalists, who opposed the construction of the company's gigantic car factory before it even began. Not that the factory was popular in the area before all this: In 2020, local residents [raised over 400 objections]() to the construction as critics also accused the company of needless deforestation and "[stealing our water]()." ## Illegal Piles Now, The Association for Nature and Landscape in Brandenburg has filed three criminal complaints — including the illegal ramming of 104 piles, which were used to build out the company's parking lot. The risk, they argue, is that the penetration of the water table could contaminate the groundwater (and thereby the drinking water) in the area. The group also accused the carmaker of starting a work shuttle station before it received the needed construction permits. But given Tesla's strong relationship with local politicians in the area, as *Electrek* points out, it's unclear if these charges will amount to anything. Sascha Gehm, the deputy district administrator of the region, called the accusations "bananas," [according to German news outlet *Moz.de*,]() arguing that no other company is as regulated as much as Tesla, adding that there has "has never been a threat to the groundwater in all this time." Meanwhile, the company's Berlin factory has [struggled]() to get production numbers up to speed, falling far short of its hiring goals, according to a [recent *Wired* report](). Whether the environmental group's accusations will add to the company's existing headaches — and lead to actual disruptions — remains to be seen. **READ MORE:** [Tesla is facing ‘criminal’ allegations regarding Gigafactory Berlin]() \[*Electrek*\] **More on Gigafactory Berlin:** *[Tesla Is Having Extreme Trouble Hiring, for Some Reason]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()