Tesla is Sued Over Emissions from California Plant

FILE - A Model X sports-utility vehicle sits outside a Tesla store in Littleton, Colo., on June 18, 2023. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
FILE - A Model X sports-utility vehicle sits outside a Tesla store in Littleton, Colo., on June 18, 2023. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
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Tesla is Sued Over Emissions from California Plant

FILE - A Model X sports-utility vehicle sits outside a Tesla store in Littleton, Colo., on June 18, 2023. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
FILE - A Model X sports-utility vehicle sits outside a Tesla store in Littleton, Colo., on June 18, 2023. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

Tesla has been sued by an environmental nonprofit that accused Elon Musk's electric car company of violating the federal Clean Air Act hundreds of times by letting its Fremont, California, plant emit harmful pollutants.

In a complaint filed on Monday, the Environmental Democracy Project said Tesla has since January 2021 exposed nearby residents and workers to excessive nitrogen oxides, arsenic, cadmium and other harmful chemicals, mainly through its paint shop operations.

The nonprofit wants an injunction to halt excess pollution, plus civil fines of up to $121,275 per day per violation of the Clean Air Act.

Tesla did not immediately respond on Tuesday to requests for comment, Reuters reported.

The lawsuit filed federal court in San Francisco adds to pressure on Tesla to improve air quality surrounding the Fremont plant, its main US factory.

On May 2, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District said it wanted an independent hearing board to order Tesla to reduce harmful emissions from its paint shop operations.

It said that Tesla's emissions abatement system breaks down "repeatedly," and the automaker has since 2019 racked up 112 notices of violation, each accounting for as much as 750 pounds of illegal air pollution.

In February, Tesla agreed to pay $1.5 million to settle a lawsuit by 25 California counties that claimed it mishandled hazardous waste at locations across the state.

The Environmental Democracy Project said it has authority to file a "citizen" lawsuit under the Clean Air Act because Tesla "has violated or in violation of conditions imposed by an operating permit for major sources of pollution."

Lawyers for the nonprofit did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment.

The case is Environmental Democracy Project v Tesla Inc et al, US District Court, Northern District of California, No. 24-02888.



Morocco Bets on Video Game Industry to Provide Jobs and Diversify Economy

 Moroccan Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication Mehdi Ben Said speaks during the Morocco Gaming Expo in Rabat, Morocco, Wednesday July 2, 2025. (AP)
Moroccan Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication Mehdi Ben Said speaks during the Morocco Gaming Expo in Rabat, Morocco, Wednesday July 2, 2025. (AP)
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Morocco Bets on Video Game Industry to Provide Jobs and Diversify Economy

 Moroccan Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication Mehdi Ben Said speaks during the Morocco Gaming Expo in Rabat, Morocco, Wednesday July 2, 2025. (AP)
Moroccan Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication Mehdi Ben Said speaks during the Morocco Gaming Expo in Rabat, Morocco, Wednesday July 2, 2025. (AP)

Morocco is laying down foundations to build a homegrown gaming industry by establishing a developer hub in the capital, training coders and launching programs to draw tech-savvy youth into the sector.

State officials invited developers, students and tech companies from around the world to a gaming expo in Rabat this week, where guests tested new games, competed in e-sports tournaments and heard about new initiatives to bring the burgeoning industry to Morocco.

Attendees at the Morocco Gaming Expo battled through shooting games, explored immersive virtual reality worlds, tested educational platforms and mingled with mobile providers eager to stake their claim in the growing mobile gaming market.

The event, in its second year, is one of the few ways in which African countries are diversifying their economies and attracting new industries for their young workforces.

Morocco is positioning itself as one of Africa's first countries to roll out targeted strategies for the gaming industry. Mehdi Ben Said, Morocco's Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, said the government aims to both attract international game companies to Morocco and incentivize Moroccan developers to create their own products.

With youth unemployment close to 30% and many young people eyeing opportunities abroad, the gaming industry could be a way to spark job growth and diversify opportunities, he said.

“The objective is not only to generate revenue, but also to empower youth,” Ben Said said. “We must offer real alternatives to our young people by opening up new career opportunities.”

With more than $200 billion in annual revenue and 3 billion players, the global market for video games is undergoing rapid growth. But even as smartphones have become ubiquitous in the Middle East and Africa, the industry has remained concentrated in East Asia, North America and Western Europe.

Driven primarily by game sales, Morocco’s industry currently generates over $500 million annually, according to state officials, who aim to double this revenue by 2030.

Morocco is launching training programs in game design, programming and virtual reality alongside an industrial park where startups can incubate new games. The initiative includes a $26-million investment to open “Rabat Gaming City,” featuring training, co-working spaces and full-scale production studios.

For students the industry offers a chance to turn a passion into a career, said Fadwa Bezzazi, coordinator of Universite Mohammed V's undergraduate club in computer science and virtual reality.

Students, who are already spending money on mobile or PC games, want to find ways to put what they're learning in the classroom into practice.

“I'm not going to say we're preparing them for the future, because that future is already here,” she said.