TN Lawmakers cut new proposed agency to oversee Boring Company tunnel from 20 staffers to 3

A top Tennessee Republican lawmaker wants to create a new agency to oversee the Boring Company, which aims to build a tunnel for Tesla vehicles in Nashville, but has proposed significantly reducing its size after pushback over the cost. 

Tennessee Republican Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, a Franklin Republican, is now proposing a three-person “subterranean transportation infrastructure” agency costing less than $1 million compared to the 20-person, $5 million agency in his original proposal. 

The legislation would establish the Subterranean Transportation Infrastructure Coordination Authority, which would be responsible for issuing permits and administering regulations for underground transportation projects. The only project that fits the definition is Boring’s proposed 13-mile tunnel.

The common theme among the company’s current downtown Nashville and airport routes is that they would be built along state-owned roads, allowing it to avoid Metro Nashville regulations.

Johnson is proposing the new agency so that if the company decides on different routes, it would still fall under the authority of the state-controlled board. While state leaders, like Johnson and Gov. Bill Lee, have been enthusiastically touting the tunnel, local lawmakers have been more skeptical of the project. 

TN Senate Majority Leader proposes 20-person, $5M oversight agency for Boring Company Tunnel

The Metro Nashville Council passed a resolution in March opposing the project over its “lack of transparency” and environmental concerns. 

Regulators in Las Vegas, Nevada, where the Boring Company built its only operational tunnel, have alleged the company violated environmental regulations nearly 800 times, including releasing untreated water into the city and digging without approval. The company has also contested nearly $112,000 in fines from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for serious violations, including reports of workers suffering chemical burns after being splashed with toxic sludge.

The legislation has passed through committees in the state Senate but still needs to go through its final state House committee. Lee included funding for the agency in his March budget amendment, an indicator of the bill’s likely approval.