U.S. regulators say SpaceX has repeatedly discharged wastewater in violation of regulations this year, polluting Texas waters

This site reported on August 13 that SpaceX, Musk’s space exploration technology company, was accused of violating environmental regulations multiple times this year and illegally discharging pollutants into Texas waters. A violation notice issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) last week clearly pointed out that there were serious problems with the water deluge system at SpaceX’s Starbase launch site.

1. It is worth noting that as early as March this year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 6 office (responsible for Texas and surrounding areas) had issued a similar violation notice to SpaceX, accusing it of violating the Clean Water Law".

2. Violation notices and related investigative records obtained by CNBC show that the TCEQ Harlingen Regional Office received a complaint on August 6, 2023, that SpaceX was discharging wastewater without authorization. Subsequently, the region received a total of 14 complaints about the environmental impact of the water sprinkler system at the Starbase launch site.
3. According to regulations, aerospace companies, including SpaceX, must comply with state and federal laws in order to obtain launch permission from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). SpaceX had applied to conduct up to 25 Starship rocket launches and landings per year at Boca Chica. A violation notice could delay the approval process and could impose civil fines on SpaceX or even trigger deeper investigations and criminal charges.
4. SpaceX responded in a lengthy post on social media platform
5. A TCEQ environmental investigator conducted an internal compliance records review of SpaceX’s wastewater discharges on July 25, 2024. The investigation found that SpaceX discharged industrial wastewater without a permit four times between March and July of this year.
6. Water shower systems are commonly used to disperse the heat, noise and energy generated by orbital test flights and rocket launches. But SpaceX didn't build the system at the Boca Chica launch site ahead of the first test flight of its largest rocket, Starship.
7. In April 2023, the first test flight of Starship caused the launch pad to explode and the rocket to disintegrate in the air. Massive amounts of concrete debris were scattered into nearby important bird habitat and migratory grounds, and a 3.5-acre fire burned Boca Chica State Park lands south of the launch pad.
8. To avoid another explosion, SpaceX quickly rebuilt the launch pad and installed a new water shower system, but bypassed the approval process and failed to limit pollutant emissions and explain wastewater treatment methods in accordance with regulations.
9. In July 2023, SpaceX conducted a full pressure test of the water shower system for the first time. A month later, on August 25, 2023, the US Environmental Protection Agency launched an investigation and requested SpaceX to provide information on wastewater discharges and other aspects. The agency formally issued a violation notice to SpaceX on March 13, 2024.
10. Despite receiving notice from the Environmental Protection Agency a day earlier, SpaceX went ahead with Starship’s third test flight on March 14, again using an unauthorized water shower system.
11. Teague also pointed out that high-temperature emissions and high concentrations of pollutants such as mercury could have serious negative impacts on marine ecosystems. He criticized SpaceX's application for failing to address this serious problem.
12. SpaceX said in response that “no mercury was detected” in its samples. But in its permit application, the company acknowledged mercury concentrations at one outfall location were 113 micrograms per liter, while state water quality standards set acute aquatic toxicity limits of 2.1 micrograms per liter and lower human health limits.

    

The above is the detailed content of U.S. regulators say SpaceX has repeatedly discharged wastewater in violation of regulations this year, polluting Texas waters. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!