Nevada Lawmakers Demand Answers Over Safety Concerns at Elon Musk’s Boring Company

Nevada legislators are intensifying scrutiny of Governor Joe Lombardo’s oversight of The Boring Company, Elon Musk’s tunneling venture, demanding a comprehensive plan to address what they describe as “structural failures” within the state’s workplace safety system. The push comes amid ongoing investigations into safety incidents at Boring Company tunnel construction sites in and around Las Vegas and follows revelations of apparent political interference in workplace safety enforcement.

Assemblymember Howard Watts and Senator Rochelle Nguyen, both Democrats leading the Assembly Committee on Growth and Infrastructure, sent a letter to Governor Lombardo’s Chief of Staff, Ryan Cherry, on Wednesday, outlining their concerns. The letter, obtained by Fortune, specifically requests an independent review of an incident where a public record related to an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigation was altered. The legislators characterize altering or concealing public records as a potentially criminal act, possibly a Class C felony under Nevada law.

A Pattern of Safety Concerns

The legislators’ letter isn’t an isolated event. The Boring Company’s Las Vegas projects have been plagued by a series of safety issues since construction began. These include incidents where employees suffered chemical burns, were exposed to potential structural hazards near the Las Vegas monorail, experienced electrical shocks, and were involved in crushing injuries. Fortune has extensively reported on these incidents, bringing them to public attention.

Adding to the concerns is the backlog in OSHA cases awaiting review by the OSHA Review Board, a Governor-appointed body. This backlog, the legislators argue, allows companies to contest safety citations for extended periods, delaying necessary corrective actions. The legislators’ letter points to a “perception that Nevada’s enforcement system is not operating independently or transparently.”

Governor’s Office Intervention and Federal Investigation

The current legislative pressure builds on a November 2025 Fortune investigation that revealed OSHA initially issued over $400,000 in fines to The Boring Company after two Clark County firefighters sustained severe chemical burns inside the tunnels during a training exercise in December 2024. However, those citations were rescinded within 24 hours after Boring Company President Steve Davis contacted the Governor’s office. Records of the meeting where the decision was made were subsequently deleted from public documents.

The rescinded citations prompted a federal investigation by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which oversees the Nevada state plan. Federal OSHA substantiated allegations that case file documentation was altered, missing, and/or removed, and that the citations were withdrawn after being issued. While Federal OSHA determined that Nevada OSHA had “reasonable justification” to withdraw the citations, the findings highlighted serious concerns about the process and record-keeping.

Lombardo’s Response and Expanding Operations

Governor Lombardo, in a recent interview with the Nevada Independent, acknowledged that his office attempted to determine who deleted the line item in the OSHA file, but claimed the inquiry was hampered by a cyberattack against the state in August. Despite the ongoing safety concerns and investigations, The Boring Company has recently received approvals to expand its tunneling operations beneath the City of Las Vegas itself, after initially focusing on the broader Clark County area.

The company envisions an underground public transportation system utilizing Tesla vehicles, aiming to eventually cover the entire city. The project’s scale is significant, with a reported investment of $5.6 billion, but the repeated safety lapses are raising questions about the balance between innovation and worker protection.

OSHA’s Ongoing Cases

Currently, OSHA has at least three pending investigations related to The Boring Company’s operations. The company is also contesting eight citations issued in 2024 regarding the chemical burns suffered by employees. Hearings on those citations have been repeatedly delayed, most recently in February due to a scheduling conflict for Boring Company’s legal counsel, according to OSHA officials.

Assemblymember Watts emphasized the need for a functioning OSHA process to hold companies accountable and ensure a safe working environment. He pointed to the lengthy delays in addressing citations as a key problem, allowing companies to operate with unresolved safety issues for over a year.

What’s Next: Awaiting the Governor’s Plan

The legislators’ letter demands a written plan from Governor Lombardo’s administration by April 17th, detailing concrete actions, responsible officials, and implementation timelines for both the independent investigation and addressing the OSHA case backlogs. As of this writing, the Governor’s Office has not responded to requests for comment. The outcome of this demand will likely determine whether Nevada lawmakers pursue further legislative action to strengthen oversight of The Boring Company and improve workplace safety standards within the state. The situation also raises broader questions about the level of political influence over regulatory enforcement, and the potential for conflicts of interest when dealing with high-profile companies and their owners.