Parents at Lila Bringhurst Elementary School in Fremont are asking the Bay Area Air District to reopen public comment on a Tesla permit request that would raise emission limits on two aluminum melting furnaces at the company's factory on Fremont Boulevard.
What Tesla is asking for
Tesla filed two applications with the air district. The first, No. 726496, asks to raise the limits on metal toxic air contaminants from the two existing furnaces. The second, No. 751217, would add catalytic filter systems to each furnace to cut nitrogen oxide emissions, according to the district's public notice and a draft engineering evaluation dated Sept. 3.
Because the factory sits within 1,000 feet of Bringhurst Elementary, at 45051 Wilson Road, and the change increases toxic emissions, district rules require notice to parents of students at the school and to residents and businesses within 1,000 feet. The district's evaluation says the project is not in an area it classifies as overburdened by pollution. Its preliminary finding is that the project would meet all air quality rules, including health risk limits, and staff recommend approving it after reviewing comments.
Why parents are upset
A Change.org petition from parents and neighbors argues the notice played up the new pollution controls while leaving out details on total permitted emissions. It also says the notice went out mainly as a post on ParentSquare, an app families must opt into, with translated versions behind a login, so many families never saw it. The petition cites a state law requiring that notices fully describe projects near schools and reach parents directly. It asks the district to halt the process, correct the notice and send it again.
SFGATE reported the petition passed its goal of 1,000 signatures after the comment deadline had already passed on Monday, and parents are now asking for an extension. The outlet also reported that the district blacked out emission calculations in the new review that had been public in a 2022 Tesla application for one of the same furnaces.
What happens next
The air district will summarize the comments it received in a final evaluation before deciding whether to issue the permit. It has not said publicly whether it will extend the comment period. Families who want to follow the case can look up the two application numbers in the district's public permit database.