SpaceX, space flight technology company founded by Elon Musklanded in hot water for environmental violations in South Texas.

what’s going on

right Houston ChronicleThe Environmental Protection Agency fined the company $148,378 for polluting wetlands in 2022 and for releasing sewage into wetlands more recently without a proper permit.

SpaceX’s launch pad is located near protected navigable waters that have a surface connection to the Rio Grande, and the company dumped gallons of water into the area without a permit, according to the EPA. It was also responsible for a liquid oxygen leak in 2022.

SpaceX is no stranger to fines, with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality issuing the company a $4,000 penalty for discharges from its water deluge system. Although these charges have been paid, the company is not happy with the decision.

“Paying fines is extremely disappointing when we fundamentally disagree with the charges,” said in a statement.

The violations continued after the 2022 spill. As the Chronicle details, the EPA reported that on seven occasions between July 2023 and June 2024, approximately 261,700 gallons of floodwater made its way into surrounding wetlands.

Why are these violations worrisome?

Talking to CNBCenvironmental engineer Eric Roesch said the heat, sludge and chemicals in the wastewater will degrade the biological integrity of the wetlands and significantly reduce water quality.

With SpaceX continuing to release polluted water in wetlands, even in the face of EPA fines, the environmental damage could be severe, including a potential loss of biodiversity—with impacts not fully realized until several years later.

What can be done with SpaceX shares?

Holding the company accountable is important. SpaceX argues that its sewage release should not require a permit because it has “little or nothing in common” with the type of discharges that would require this type of permission, because CHRONIC observed.

While SpaceX’s intentions are certainly not nefarious, as it likely did not set out to cause this pollution, it appears that the company is trying to greenwash its activities, denying that its practices could lead to environmental damage despite evidence to the contrary.

While the fines appear to have done little to deter the company’s activities, sanctions like this, along with public pressure, are often the best way to effect change – in other words, if a company doesn’t think it’s good. business to better contain and reduce its pollution, it does not have sufficient incentive to do so.

Writing to your local representative it can also help keep a company under control. In this case, this could lead to new sanctions for SpaceX or a requirement to repair or compensate for the damage it has already done, or at least additional public pressure.

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