7 ms·

Nevada Governor's office covered up Boring Co safety violations

336 points by Chinjut 11mo ago

alwa 11mo ago
https://archive.is/JUevh https://archive.is/JUevh (Long may it live) As to the grout accelerant in question: TDS [PDF]: https://assets.ctfassets.net/ctspkgm1yw3s/DMSY-1685695220-3913/f0dbe116ae8932c06c72bb48735b7c35/masterroc-aga-41s-tds.pdf https://assets.ctfassets.net/ctspkgm1yw3s/DMSY-1685695220-39... MSDS [PDF]: https://assets.ctfassets.net/ctspkgm1yw3s/3Tp3imoxG5XfZlrlzURb1f/f0c8bc4d92df08bd73c2774f6a31b698/MasterRoc-AGA-41S-sds_en_us.pdf https://assets.ctfassets.net/ctspkgm1yw3s/3Tp3imoxG5XfZlrlzU... I am not skilled in the arts of aggregate curing and occupational exposure, but I wonder if it’s the “silicic acid” or a non-table-variety of “sodium salt” (from the MSDS) that’s sloughing the firefighters’ skin off here… or something that happens when the sodium oxide (from the TDS) hits water? Chemistry class was a lifetime ago but does that turn it back into lye? Is the oxide technically a “sodium salt”?
- EdwardDiego 11mo ago
  Looking at the CAS number[1], it's the sodium oxide component of it that's likely the problem, yeah. And yep, Na2O + H20 -> 2 NaOH, sodium hydroxide :) [1] https://www.epa.govt.nz/database-search/chemical-classification-and-information-database-ccid/view/14E9B028-323F-4B0F-AE8A-644018F1057C https://www.epa.govt.nz/database-search/chemical-classificat...
- ndkap 11mo ago
  >Long may it live Off topic, I found out that my university blocks archive.is or any of its mirrors. Why does the university care about this?
  - clort 11mo ago
    archive.is could be used to mirror unsuitable content (ie porn) which would otherwise be blocked
  - kukkeliskuu 11mo ago
    Maybe your university is just using some commercial provider (such as Microsoft) that categorizes pages.
mschuster91 11mo ago
Proves again that fines aren't the answer, jail time is. Fines only matter for the poor, the rich just see fines as a cost of business, and the truly rich and powerful just call their friends and problems just magically go away. Screw this. OSHA and other safety violations should, by default, pierce the corporate veil. Particularly ones where those that help others in need get injured.
- dataviz1000 11mo ago
  Had a acquaintance who was in a billionaire family. Trick is never ask them for money. They will invite everyone to lunch, parties at the beach house, ect.. The guy drove a Tesla and parked it anywhere. First time I went with the group, there was a ticket on the windshield, he pulls it off, and he says, "It is just a tax." He puts it on the pile of other parking tickets and says, "it is what accountants are for."
  - gishh 11mo ago
    [flagged]
    - lovich 11mo ago
      [flagged]
      - WhaleClub 11mo ago
        [flagged]
      - alksdjf89243 11mo ago
        Wealth means you don't pay taxes. You don't pay fines. You don't go to jail. otherwise, there's no value in wealth and no one would do the things necessary to get and keep it. But we need people to want to get and keep it so we can incentivize people to work, otherwise, there's no reason to work. Because there is no reason to work people just don't know that.
      - 11mo ago
madhacker 11mo ago
Nevada is making a mockery of its own laws by giving Boring Co special exceptions treatment for tunnels that likely get abandoned due to its impracticality.
- lazide 11mo ago
  This is pretty standard for Nevada.
anigbrowl 11mo ago
Seems like something impeachable, this doesn't strike me 'faithful execution of the laws'. Impeachment requires a 2/3 majority in the state senate, which would require only one vote from the Governor's party. The corruption will continue until people do something about it.
- bdangubic 11mo ago
  people love corruption
- b00ty4breakfast 11mo ago
  the laws of men only exist if men are willing to enforce them.
csb6 11mo ago
> When Boring Co.’s Davis called the Governor’s office the day the company received the citations, he spoke to Chris Reilly, the governor’s point person for state infrastructure, who was hired in 2024 after working at Tesla for more than seven years. The revolving door continues to spin. Wouldn’t have guessed that a former Tesla executive now leading state infrastructure policy would give special treatment to another Musk-owned company. Unsurprising but still despicable that the Boring Company disregards worker and emergency responder safety to this level, and that even a slap on the wrist fine was enough for them to go crying to the governor.
- testing22321 11mo ago
  With former pharmaceutical execs working at the FDA regulating drugs, former Boeing execs working at the FAA to regulate airlines and countless more examples it’s staggering corruption in the US isn’t talked about more. It’s almost like the media companies no longer serve the population, and only serve the corrupt.
  - Spooky23 11mo ago
    Well, expect more. We’ve gutted the federal bureaucracy like a fish, anyone who wasn’t fired is leaving as soon as they can. I’m hiring lots of amazing people from the feds. My client is going to make a fortune as the smartest people regulating them are now advocating for them. The government is, as intended, going to be generationally broken.
    - Danjoe4 11mo ago
      The government works better the fewer dollars and bureaucrats it has
      - deleted 11mo ago
        [deleted]
      - amanaplanacanal 11mo ago
        So... Defund the police, I guess?
ChrisArchitect 11mo ago
Background: Boring Company fined nearly $500K after it dumped drilling fluids into manholes https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45862674 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45862674 Boring Company cited for almost 800 environmental violations in Las Vegas https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45540585 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45540585
mensetmanusman 11mo ago
Live drills can be very dangerous and this was no exception, especially in unique environments where folks have little experience. We lose many first responders and military personnel from their regular work here. Who failed to inform the firefighters that quickening agents can leech from walls?
anonymousiam 11mo ago
From what I've read in the local news, the chemicals were already in the soil, but dumping the waste into the (only) drainage system available without treating it first is apparently a no-no. https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/environment/no-boring-co-is-not-poisoning-las-vegas-drinking-water-heres-why-3581540 https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/environment/no-boring-co-... https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/clark-county/clark-county-fines-boring-co-nearly-500k-for-illegal-dumping-3568600 https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/c... This reminded me of another local story (I live in both locations). The local swimming hole was fined for releasing seawater back to where it came from, cleaner than it was beforehand. https://www.dailybreeze.com/2010/01/20/redondo-beach-asks-lieu-for-help-on-seaside-lagoon https://www.dailybreeze.com/2010/01/20/redondo-beach-asks-li... https://documents.coastal.ca.gov/reports/2018/8/th13b/Th13b-8-2018-report.pdf https://documents.coastal.ca.gov/reports/2018/8/th13b/Th13b-...
- zaptrem 11mo ago
  I read the daily breeze article and can’t find where they claim the released water was cleaner than it was before?
  - anonymousiam 11mo ago
    Try these articles: https://www.dailybreeze.com/2010/04/21/faced-with-the-possibility-of-exposing-the-city-to-as-much-as-2-1-billion-in-fines-the-redondo-beach-city-council-voted-tuesday-to-close-the-seaside-lagoon-this-summer-the-decision-was-the-result-o/ https://www.dailybreeze.com/2010/04/21/faced-with-the-possib... https://easyreadernews.com/city-launches-campaign-to-save-lagoon/ https://easyreadernews.com/city-launches-campaign-to-save-la...
foobarqux 11mo ago
This isn't the first time: In 2019 Tesla illegally prevented OSHA officials from entering a Tesla site in Nevada (with a warrant and officer from the sheriff's office) to address serious workplace injuries. These are what are claimed to be the onerous regulations slowing down innovation.
jgalt212 11mo ago
The FTC doesn't crack down on FSD, why would Nevada crack down on Boring Co?

336 points by Chinjut 11mo ago

alwa 11mo ago

https://archive.is/JUevh https://archive.is/JUevh (Long may it live) As to the grout accelerant in question: TDS [PDF]: https://assets.ctfassets.net/ctspkgm1yw3s/DMSY-1685695220-3913/f0dbe116ae8932c06c72bb48735b7c35/masterroc-aga-41s-tds.pdf https://assets.ctfassets.net/ctspkgm1yw3s/DMSY-1685695220-39... MSDS [PDF]: https://assets.ctfassets.net/ctspkgm1yw3s/3Tp3imoxG5XfZlrlzURb1f/f0c8bc4d92df08bd73c2774f6a31b698/MasterRoc-AGA-41S-sds_en_us.pdf https://assets.ctfassets.net/ctspkgm1yw3s/3Tp3imoxG5XfZlrlzU... I am not skilled in the arts of aggregate curing and occupational exposure, but I wonder if it’s the “silicic acid” or a non-table-variety of “sodium salt” (from the MSDS) that’s sloughing the firefighters’ skin off here… or something that happens when the sodium oxide (from the TDS) hits water? Chemistry class was a lifetime ago but does that turn it back into lye? Is the oxide technically a “sodium salt”?

EdwardDiego 11mo ago
Looking at the CAS number[1], it's the sodium oxide component of it that's likely the problem, yeah. And yep, Na2O + H20 -> 2 NaOH, sodium hydroxide :) [1] https://www.epa.govt.nz/database-search/chemical-classification-and-information-database-ccid/view/14E9B028-323F-4B0F-AE8A-644018F1057C https://www.epa.govt.nz/database-search/chemical-classificat...
ndkap 11mo ago
>Long may it live Off topic, I found out that my university blocks archive.is or any of its mirrors. Why does the university care about this?
- clort 11mo ago
  archive.is could be used to mirror unsuitable content (ie porn) which would otherwise be blocked
- kukkeliskuu 11mo ago
  Maybe your university is just using some commercial provider (such as Microsoft) that categorizes pages.

mschuster91 11mo ago

Proves again that fines aren't the answer, jail time is. Fines only matter for the poor, the rich just see fines as a cost of business, and the truly rich and powerful just call their friends and problems just magically go away. Screw this. OSHA and other safety violations should, by default, pierce the corporate veil. Particularly ones where those that help others in need get injured.

dataviz1000 11mo ago
Had a acquaintance who was in a billionaire family. Trick is never ask them for money. They will invite everyone to lunch, parties at the beach house, ect.. The guy drove a Tesla and parked it anywhere. First time I went with the group, there was a ticket on the windshield, he pulls it off, and he says, "It is just a tax." He puts it on the pile of other parking tickets and says, "it is what accountants are for."
- gishh 11mo ago
  [flagged]
  - lovich 11mo ago
    [flagged]
    - WhaleClub 11mo ago
      [flagged]
    - alksdjf89243 11mo ago
      Wealth means you don't pay taxes. You don't pay fines. You don't go to jail. otherwise, there's no value in wealth and no one would do the things necessary to get and keep it. But we need people to want to get and keep it so we can incentivize people to work, otherwise, there's no reason to work. Because there is no reason to work people just don't know that.
    - 11mo ago

madhacker 11mo ago

Nevada is making a mockery of its own laws by giving Boring Co special exceptions treatment for tunnels that likely get abandoned due to its impracticality.

lazide 11mo ago
This is pretty standard for Nevada.

anigbrowl 11mo ago

Seems like something impeachable, this doesn't strike me 'faithful execution of the laws'. Impeachment requires a 2/3 majority in the state senate, which would require only one vote from the Governor's party. The corruption will continue until people do something about it.

bdangubic 11mo ago
people love corruption
b00ty4breakfast 11mo ago
the laws of men only exist if men are willing to enforce them.

csb6 11mo ago

> When Boring Co.’s Davis called the Governor’s office the day the company received the citations, he spoke to Chris Reilly, the governor’s point person for state infrastructure, who was hired in 2024 after working at Tesla for more than seven years. The revolving door continues to spin. Wouldn’t have guessed that a former Tesla executive now leading state infrastructure policy would give special treatment to another Musk-owned company. Unsurprising but still despicable that the Boring Company disregards worker and emergency responder safety to this level, and that even a slap on the wrist fine was enough for them to go crying to the governor.

testing22321 11mo ago
With former pharmaceutical execs working at the FDA regulating drugs, former Boeing execs working at the FAA to regulate airlines and countless more examples it’s staggering corruption in the US isn’t talked about more. It’s almost like the media companies no longer serve the population, and only serve the corrupt.
- Spooky23 11mo ago
  Well, expect more. We’ve gutted the federal bureaucracy like a fish, anyone who wasn’t fired is leaving as soon as they can. I’m hiring lots of amazing people from the feds. My client is going to make a fortune as the smartest people regulating them are now advocating for them. The government is, as intended, going to be generationally broken.
  - Danjoe4 11mo ago
    The government works better the fewer dollars and bureaucrats it has
    - deleted 11mo ago
      [deleted]
    - amanaplanacanal 11mo ago
      So... Defund the police, I guess?

ChrisArchitect 11mo ago

Background: Boring Company fined nearly $500K after it dumped drilling fluids into manholes https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45862674 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45862674 Boring Company cited for almost 800 environmental violations in Las Vegas https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45540585 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45540585

mensetmanusman 11mo ago

Live drills can be very dangerous and this was no exception, especially in unique environments where folks have little experience. We lose many first responders and military personnel from their regular work here. Who failed to inform the firefighters that quickening agents can leech from walls?

anonymousiam 11mo ago

From what I've read in the local news, the chemicals were already in the soil, but dumping the waste into the (only) drainage system available without treating it first is apparently a no-no. https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/environment/no-boring-co-is-not-poisoning-las-vegas-drinking-water-heres-why-3581540 https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/environment/no-boring-co-... https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/clark-county/clark-county-fines-boring-co-nearly-500k-for-illegal-dumping-3568600 https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/c... This reminded me of another local story (I live in both locations). The local swimming hole was fined for releasing seawater back to where it came from, cleaner than it was beforehand. https://www.dailybreeze.com/2010/01/20/redondo-beach-asks-lieu-for-help-on-seaside-lagoon https://www.dailybreeze.com/2010/01/20/redondo-beach-asks-li... https://documents.coastal.ca.gov/reports/2018/8/th13b/Th13b-8-2018-report.pdf https://documents.coastal.ca.gov/reports/2018/8/th13b/Th13b-...

zaptrem 11mo ago
I read the daily breeze article and can’t find where they claim the released water was cleaner than it was before?
- anonymousiam 11mo ago
  Try these articles: https://www.dailybreeze.com/2010/04/21/faced-with-the-possibility-of-exposing-the-city-to-as-much-as-2-1-billion-in-fines-the-redondo-beach-city-council-voted-tuesday-to-close-the-seaside-lagoon-this-summer-the-decision-was-the-result-o/ https://www.dailybreeze.com/2010/04/21/faced-with-the-possib... https://easyreadernews.com/city-launches-campaign-to-save-lagoon/ https://easyreadernews.com/city-launches-campaign-to-save-la...

foobarqux 11mo ago

This isn't the first time: In 2019 Tesla illegally prevented OSHA officials from entering a Tesla site in Nevada (with a warrant and officer from the sheriff's office) to address serious workplace injuries. These are what are claimed to be the onerous regulations slowing down innovation.

jgalt212 11mo ago

The FTC doesn't crack down on FSD, why would Nevada crack down on Boring Co?