State lawmakers expecting a high-profile grilling over the Vegas Loop instead got an empty witness table on Tuesday, when neither The Boring Company nor Gov. Joe Lombardo’s office showed up for a scheduled interim committee hearing. The Joint Interim Standing Committee on Growth and Infrastructure had lined up questions about health, safety and environmental oversight of the privately built tunnel network. In the end, lawmakers got letters instead of live answers.
Letters, Not Witnesses
In a written statement, The Boring Company told legislators it “would be thrilled to share our vision” but said no one from the company was available to attend in person, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The company reiterated that safety is a priority and said any future Vegas Loop work hinges on what it called an “unwavering commitment to safety,” while inviting committee members to tour the system.
Governor’s Office Declines In Writing
Gov. Lombardo’s chief of staff turned down the committee’s request in a Jan. 22 letter, explaining that the governor’s office had served mainly as a facilitator between The Boring Company and state regulators, and that those agencies should be the ones answering technical and enforcement questions, according to The Nevada Independent. Assemblymember Howard Watts, who chairs the panel, told the outlet the absence was “really disappointing,” saying lawmakers had hoped for direct accountability from both the company and the governor’s team.
Agencies Answered The Room
With the headline guests missing, lawmakers turned to state regulators who did show. Representatives from the Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection fielded questions about inspections, citations and enforcement activity tied to the project, Las Vegas Review-Journal reporting noted. The Legislature’s meeting calendar confirms the committee convened in Room 165 in Las Vegas, where members pressed agencies on past violations, cleanup efforts and planned follow-up actions (Nevada Legislature). Staff also formally entered the letters from The Boring Company and the governor’s office into the record.
Why Lawmakers Remain Skeptical
The pointed questioning did not come out of nowhere. ProPublica previously reported that state records identified nearly 800 alleged environmental violations connected to the Vegas Loop project, as well as a reduced penalty. Fortune has also detailed how Nevada OSHA citations related to firefighter injuries in the tunnels were later rescinded following high-level meetings, and how federal regulators have since taken an interest in how Nevada OSHA handled the case. Those developments set the stage for Watts’ push to get in-person explanations from both The Boring Company and Lombardo’s office.
What’s Next
Watts said the committee is not dropping the issue and plans to keep Vegas Loop oversight on future agendas, potentially requesting more documents and additional briefings from state regulators, according to The Nevada Independent. Lawmakers indicated they could extend another invitation for The Boring Company to testify in person if the company is willing, while staff will continue tracking enforcement moves by NDEP and Nevada OSHA as their investigations proceed.
