SpaceX repeatedly polluted waters in Texas this year, regulators found

www.cnbc.com

Needs confirmation

News @lemmy.world

MicroWave @lemmy.world

11mo ago

SpaceX repeatedly polluted waters in Texas this year, regulators found

www.cnbc.com /2024/08/12/spacex-repeatedly-polluted-waters-in-texas-tceq-epa-found.html

20 comments

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?
Yep. Whatcha gonna do about it, Texas?
Yeah. That’s what we thought.
- They are gonna offer a tax break to him obviously.
  
  the fishes would taste better with some more mercury anyways
- Don't mess with texas, except you're rich obviously, then take out your strap on and get a go.
Texas has regulators?
- I googled. Surprisingly yes.
  “The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is the environmental agency for the state. We have approximately 2,800 employees, located in our central office in Austin and 16 regional offices around Texas.”
  Source: https://www.tceq.texas.gov/agency#
  
  Not any more 🙃
- How else would they protect the large incumbents from new market entrants?
- Mount up!
Can we revoke his government contracts now?
Good thing probably nothing can be done about it because SCOTUS ended the Chevron deference!
They launch cheaper than NASA because they don't mind polluting. Giving them NASA's budget didn't make things better for everyone else, just the investor class.
I doubt the people currently in control of Texas government care.
If we don't throw the book at the billionaires, this country will never overcome it's oligopoly.

20 comments