SpaceX’s Starship launches at the company’s Starbase facility near Boca Chica, Texas, have allegedly been contaminating local bodies of water with mercury for years. The news arrives in an exclusive CNBCreport on August 12, which cites internal documents and communications between local Texas regulators and the Environmental Protection Agency.

SpaceX’s fourth Starship test launch in June was its most successful so far—but the world’s largest and most powerful rocket ever built continues to wreak havoc on nearby Texas communities, wildlife, and ecosystems. But after repeated admonishments, reviews, and ignored requests, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) have had enough.

  • DaddleDew@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    I can see why Elon hates government regulatory bodies.

    How dare they stop him poisoning millions of people and entire ecosystems, causing irreparable damage just so he can save a few bucks on waste disposal fees? This is so unfair!

    • FarFarAway@startrek.website
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      3 months ago

      TECQ stops him about as much as a stick stops a bulldozer.

      The first, and so far, only fine they’ve issued for his violations at his Boring Co / Space X site outside of Austin, amounted to a little under $12,000. This is after at least 13 violations that include water contamination, runoff and erosion, and air quality violations.

      He hates them the same way one hates a fly.

    • LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      If we are going to say that foreign members can’t own large media companies aka Tiktok, maybe we could expand it to all media companies to ensure a certain Australian has to sell his, and government contracts all be required to be owned by naturalized americans as well. Seems like they have proven are a huge threat and have violated multiple factors of our government/ laws