Penalty‑as‑Permit Undermines Environmental Law

Nevada documented nearly 800 alleged environmental violations by The Boring Company on the Vegas Loop but cut potential fines from over $3 million to $242,800. When regulators levy small, discretionary penalties after the fact, firms can treat violations as a cost of doing business rather than a deterrent. Musk has openly endorsed this approach, favoring penalties over prior permission. — This reframes environmental enforcement as a governance problem where weak, negotiable fines turn rules into optional fees, with implications for how we build infrastructure fast without eroding safeguards.