Answer:
A) there will be too much pollution.
Explanation:
If the optimal tax was $1,500, then the marginal cost of pollution = $1,500
Since the tax is set at a cost ($500) much lower than marginal cost of pollution ($1,500), then the companies will have virtually no incentives to reduce pollution. They are actually saving money by polluting, since the cost of reducing pollution is much higher than the tax levied on pollution.