Parents of a nearby school are concerned about Tesla’s Fremont factory. Parents and families at Lila Bringhurst Elementary School in California are questioning a proposed change to emissions limits at the nearby facility, less than 1,000 feet from the school. A memo sent home to parents in a school district about the Bay Area Air District’s notice has been criticised for not clearly articulating how Tesla’s proposal could be affected.The company has sought revisions to emission limits for two aluminium melting furnaces and to install new pollution-control equipment. Online postings of calculations from the district’s engineering documents have raised concerns of a potential 13-fold increase in total suspended particulate emissions. Parents want more information about the proposed changes and what they could mean for their children’s health.“It was sort of obfuscating,” Bringhurst parent Jenny Lin told SFGATE, referring to the notification.
Why Tesla’s proposed emissions changes have angered parents
The Fremont Unified School District informed parents about the air district’s notice in September through its ParentSquare communication platform. The letter said Tesla had applied to modify emission limits for existing aluminium melting furnaces and install new systems to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions.However, some parents said the notice did not clearly explain that the proposal also involved higher limits for metal toxic air contaminants. An anonymous Substack post published on October 1 drew attention to engineering documents indicating a potential 13-fold increase in total suspended particulate emissions from two furnaces.A Change.org petition subsequently called on the air district to reconsider the permit process and improve communication with families.“We’re not asking for the impossible,” said Bringhurst parent June Hu, who posted the petition. “We just are asking for a chance to understand.”The engineering documents also contained redactions, including information about operating limits. The air district said it had to protect confidential business information and trade secrets, and that it would review the documents for errors.
What the proposed emissions increase means for students
The proposed increase in total suspended particulates (TSP) has become a central concern for parents. These particles range from about 1 to 100 microns, and their potential health effects depend partly on their size and composition.Nicholas Spada, an air quality researcher at the University of California, Davis, said larger particles can dominate TSP measurements, even though smaller particles can travel farther and enter the human body.“If you’re looking at a TSP mass value, most of that mass is going to be large particles that don’t enter the human body, and so they’re not really health relevant,” Spada said. “That doesn’t mean that TSP doesn’t also include small particles; it’s just that they’re heavily diluted by the much bigger particles that are dominating the signal.”The air district said its TSP emission estimates would remain within limits, although Spada described the projected increase as “significant.” He added that the available information was insufficient to determine whether students needed additional precautions.
Parents seek more clarity on Tesla’s permit
Bringhurst Elementary School opened in 2022 and has about 1,250 students. Some families said they were concerned about the proposed emissions changes after earlier reports that the air district was investigating the Tesla facility over alleged violations.Parents are asking for clearer information about the potential risks and more time to review the proposal. The air district said it would evaluate the application to ensure it met applicable air quality and health standards.
