Environmental group Save RGV filed a lawsuit against SpaceX on Wednesday, accusing Elon Musk’s company of discharging wastewater at its Boca Chica launch site near Brownsville, Texas, without a permit.
The group asked a judge that the company’s cooling system, called the Deluge system in the lawsuit, installed to prevent the launch pad from exploding could be cleared by the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System under the Clean Water Act. They are asking for a ban on its use. .
The lawsuit asks the court to fine the company up to $56,460 per day for each violation.
SaveRGV alleges in its lawsuit that the deluge system has contaminated surrounding wetlands at least 13 times without a permit, each time in violation of the Clean Water Act.
The deluge system has the capacity to release 360,000 gallons of water per launch. The suit alleges that when SpaceX launched a Starship rocket in 2023, the launch pad exploded, sending debris into Texas-managed wilderness and leading to the company’s installation of a deluge system.
SpaceX said in an The company said SaveRGV was aware of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s review but filed the “unwarranted and frivolous” lawsuit nonetheless.
However, the Save RGV was unable to do so because the high heat during each test “ablated” aluminum, arsenic, zinc, mercury, and other metals from the launch site, and a deluge system swept the metals into surrounding areas, contaminating the launch site. It is claimed that it will be done.
TCEQ did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and the Environmental Protection Agency also declined to comment.
Save RGV is represented by Perales, Allmon and Ice PC in Austin.
The case is Save RGV v. Space Exploration Technologies Corp., SD TX, No. 1:24-cv-00148, 10/9/24.
