Do you have a little time? please ask instead
TThe latest move by critics of SpaceX discharging what they call “untreated industrial wastewater” at Boca Chica/Starbase is TCEQ’s decision to grant the company a Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has requested that the case be heard by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. (TPDES) Permission.
The request was filed by the South Texas Environmental Justice Network (STEJN), represented by Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid, which filed the request on Dec. 26. STEJN argued that the permit permits the release of effluents that pose a risk of degrading water quality in a fragile environment. “It serves as critical habitat for many species and is one of the last remaining pristine coastal green spaces in Texas.”
The water in question comes from the Boca Chica launch site’s water cannon system, which is designed to dampen the effects of rocket engine explosions during launches and static fire engine tests.
The purpose of the requested public hearing is to ensure that the permit complies with federal and state law and that the best available science is used in determining whether to issue the permit.
Mr Stein said the issuance of TPDES permits typically goes through a rigorous, often months-long process to ensure that people and wildlife dependent on the associated water resources are not adversely affected, and that TPDES permits are “typically , limiting the amount of wastewater and the concentration of certain substances.” Contaminants that may be released into the water. ”
“Despite these requirements, TCEQ granted SpaceX’s permit in less than two months,” the group said. “TCEQ also failed to impose significant limits or restrictions on SpaceX’s wastewater discharges, which contain heavy metals and toxins and allow unrestricted contamination into the water. , this flaw is concerning.
TRLA attorney Paola Camacho, who represents STEJN, said TCEQ’s granting of the permit fits into a “pattern of unwavering favoritism toward SpaceX.”
“TCEQ ignores the requirements of state and federal law, ignores the concerns of hundreds of citizens, and inadvertently teaches all Texans that pollution in the name of profit is more important than protecting people and the environment.” “It sent a message that it’s important,” he said.
Once a TPDES permit is granted, those at risk of adverse effects can challenge the permit in a contested litigation hearing.
In October, the environmental group Save RGV filed a lawsuit in the United States District of Brownsville, Southern District of Texas, seeking declaratory and injunctive relief, the imposition of civil penalties and “any other appropriate relief” under the Clean Water Act (CWA). filed a lawsuit in district court. ” to stop SpaceX’s “repeated unauthorized releases of untreated industrial wastewater from the SpaceX Boca Chica Launch Site deluge system into waters of the United States,” according to the complaint.
