NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Elon Musk's Boring Company continues to dig a path beneath Nashville that promises to change how people get around the city. But a new report raises questions about what those tunnels could mean for the ground and groundwater above them.
Now, a new report from the Southern Environmental Law Center takes a closer look at those potential challenges. The report doesn't say the tunnel will cause sinkholes or groundwater contamination, but identifies those as potential risks.
The Southern Environmental Law Center says it wants more transparency and safeguards as the project moves forward.
When the Boring Company announced plans for the Music City Loop in July 2025, the project drew attention to how Nashville's underground geology could factor into construction.
The new report focuses not just on the rock, but what's inside it: karst, where groundwater dissolves limestone, creating underground openings and channels. It identifies voids measuring more than 13 feet and says some parts of the route will have to pass through rock with well-developed karst.
Trey Bussey, a senior attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center, says some of those conditions can't simply be avoided.
"This report shows that's not possible. The tunnel will have to go through a lot of risky areas that have karst features throughout downtown Nashville all the way to the airport," Bussey said.
The report warns of potential problems including flooding, sinkholes and ground subsidence.
"One big question that we have is just who's going to be on the hook to fix and pay for some of the problems that could happen. If there is a sinkhole in our streets, who fixes that? Who pays for that?" Bussey said.
The report also points to known contamination near the route, including the former Aladdin Industries site on Murfreesboro Pike.
"This is an unprecedented project for Middle Tennessee, and it could have unprecedented impacts. And I don't see that Tennessee and Nashville are prepared for those," Bussey said.
The report calls for a clearer understanding of the risks and how they would be addressed. The Boring Company has not responded to our request for comment.
But the Boring Company’s 2025 assessment concluded that the Music City Loop project is not expected to harm the environment or disrupt city operations.
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