SpaceX repeatedly polluted waters in Texas this year, regulators found
SpaceX violated environmental regulations in releasing pollutants into or nearby bodies of water in Texas, a state environmental agency found.
Needs confirmation
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Teague said he’s especially concerned about the concentration of mercury in the wastewater from the SpaceX water deluge system. The levels disclosed in the document represent “very large exceedances of the mercury water quality criteria,” Teague said.
I'm confused as to how the mercury got in the water in the first place. Is it leeching out of the storage tanks, or was it already present in the water prior to its delivery to SpaceX?
As far as I am aware, no part of the launch system relies on mercury as a major (or even minor) component. Where is the mercury coming from?
Looks like it might have literally been a typo. The figures in the report keep varying between xxx and 0.xxx: https://www.tceq.texas.gov/downloads/permitting/wastewater/title-iv/tpdes/wq0005462000-spaceexplorationtechnologiescorp-starbaselaunchpadsite-cameron-tpdes-adminpackage.pdf
Looks like it might have literally been a typo.
Interesting, looks like you might be right:
The mercury value for Sample 1 switches between 0.113 μg/L and 113 μg/L, and the value for Sample 2 switches between 0.139 μg/L and 139 μg/L. I also notice that the values for Aluminum (or "RAluminum") switch between 61.5 and 6.15, and Chromium values switch between 0.282 and 0.000282. Seems rather sloppy. My analytical chemistry professor would not be impressed.
Additionally, SpaceX have since refuted the original CNBC article claiming it is "factually inaccurate": https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1823080774012481862
Highlights pertaining to mercury levels:
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.
What do you think has happened here? Are there legitimately concerning mercury levels which SpaceX are trying to downplay, or have CNBC taken some slightly sloppy data, come to their own conclusions, and run with it?
And the mercury value of 0.133ug/l is the detection limit of the test. So what the rapport is saying is that there is no detectable mercury in the water.
0.133ug/l is the detection limit of the test
the rapport is saying is that there is no detectable mercury
SpaceX have since published a second statement confirming that there was a typo in the report, and stating that the mercury concentration is below detectable levels in most cases: https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1823378186836889699
So, pretty much what you surmised.
