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The Nevada Independent

New Boring Co. station approved on UNLV’s campus

After months of controversy surrounding the company for unsafe working conditions, regents unanimously OK plans for an underground stop for the Vegas Loop.
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The controversial Vegas Loop is coming to UNLV after the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents voted unanimously Friday for The Boring Co. to build an underground station on the university’s campus. 

In recent months, the underground network of tunnels where Tesla’s transport people to various stations has come under fire from legislators amid allegations of unsafe working conditions and hundreds of environmental violations. So far, eight out of the 104 proposed stations are operational. In January, the City of Las Vegas approved a new station in downtown Las Vegas and a tunnel under Chinatown is also in the works. 

The station is proposed to exit on the southwestern edge of campus, near parking lots of the Thomas & Mack Center, the university’s sports arena.

Regents approved a land easement for The Boring Co., which is owned by tech billionaire Elon Musk, meaning it has a right to develop and use the land where the station will be built, but it does not own the parcel. 

Members of the Board of Regents spoke positively about the project and its innovative nature. Multiple members said they were “eager” to proceed with the construction and expressed gratitude and thanks to The Boring Co. Several board members raised questions about the cost of the station, which will be built at the company’s expense, and if students would receive a reduced ticket price. 

“We’re a large engineering firm in your backyard, so internships and full-time jobs, and certainly reduced fees for students, and then finally a very safe and convenient transportation system for their campus,” said Tyler Fairbanks, a project developer for The Boring Co., about the benefits the station will bring to UNLV and its students.

Though she was supportive of the project at large, Regent Amy Carvalho raised concerns about the ongoing issues that The Boring Co. has experienced during the construction of tunnels in other areas of the city. Last year, Fortune wrote a story about two firefighters who were sent to the hospital for chemical burns they experienced while doing a fire drill in the tunnels. 

“I hope that The Boring Co. will continue to do what’s right and make sure that their workers are protected and that UNLV is held harmless from any issues,” Carvalho said during the meeting. 

The project also has been criticized for a lack of transparency. Last May, Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) was accused of using political pressure to make an Occupational Safety and Hazard Administration investigation into the company disappear, something the governor has denied. 

A worker was also fired for “misconduct” after experiencing chemical burns on the job site this August, as first reported by KTNV on Thursday. 

The Boring Co. did not respond for comment in time for publication.

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