The EPA cracked down on Tesla and SpaceX. Then Elon Musk and DOGE took over. 

Elon Musk runs companies that make electric vehicles and solar panels, things that are supposed to reduce pollution and fight climate change. But over the years, Musk’s companies have faced repeated accusations by regulators including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that they’ve skirted the law, from allegations of Tesla mishandling hazardous waste to SpaceX polluting wetlands. Now, with President Donald Trump’s blessing, Musk is taking an ax to the federal agency tasked with enforcing environmental law in the US and regulating companies — including his own.

Internal EPA records obtained by The Verge show repeated enforcement actions against Tesla over the Clean Air Act and federal hazardous waste law between 2015 and February of this year. The records also show multiple enforcement actions EPA has taken against SpaceX over the Clean Water Act since 2015.

After spending hundreds of millions of dollars to help Donald Trump get reelected, Musk spearheaded the launch of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to slash federal spending and fire workers, including those from agencies that are supposed to ensure companies, including his own, follow the law. Th …

Read the full story at The Verge.