SpaceX repeatedly polluted waters in Texas this year, regulators found
SpaceX has violated environmental regulations by discharging pollutants into Texas waters, prompting notices from the TCEQ and EPA, which may delay future launch approvals and raise environmental concerns.
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SpaceX has been found to have repeatedly violated environmental regulations by discharging pollutants into Texas waters, according to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). This notice follows a similar warning from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding violations of the Clean Water Act. Complaints about SpaceX's water deluge system at its Starbase facility led to investigations revealing unauthorized discharges of industrial wastewater. The TCEQ received 14 complaints about the environmental impacts of the deluge system, which is designed to mitigate the effects of rocket launches. SpaceX's operations could face delays in obtaining necessary approvals for future launches due to these violations. Despite the notices, SpaceX stated that regulators allowed them to continue operations. Environmental experts have raised concerns about the potential harm from pollutants, particularly mercury, found in the wastewater. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not yet cleared SpaceX for further test flights, and public meetings regarding SpaceX's launch plans have been postponed. The situation raises questions about compliance with environmental regulations and the implications for SpaceX's ambitious launch schedule.
- SpaceX has violated environmental regulations by discharging pollutants into Texas waters.
- The TCEQ and EPA have issued notices regarding these violations, which could impact future launch approvals.
- Environmental experts express concern over mercury levels in SpaceX's wastewater.
- The FAA has not yet approved SpaceX for additional test flights.
- Public meetings on SpaceX's launch plans have been postponed.
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2 commentsCNBC’s story on Starship’s launch operations in South Texas is factually inaccurate. ... We only use potable (drinking) water in the system’s operation. ... We send samples of the soil, air, and water around the pad to an independent, accredited laboratory after every use of the deluge system, which have consistently shown negligible traces of any contaminants. Importantly, while CNBC's story claims there are “very large exceedances of the mercury” as part of the wastewater discharged at the site, all samples to-date have in fact shown either no detectable levels of mercury whatsoever or found in very few cases levels significantly below the limit the EPA maintains for drinking water. ...
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