Tesla's lithium refinery discharges 231,000 gallons of polluted wastewater a day

This is the report from testing the water:

> Hexavalent chromium at 0.0104 milligrams per liter, just above the lab’s reporting limit of 0.01 mg/L. Hexavalent chromium is classified as a known human carcinogen by the US National Toxicology Program. It is the substance the Erin Brockovich case was built around.

> Arsenic at 0.0025 mg/L. That is below the federal drinking water standard of 0.01 mg/L, but present.

> Strontium at 1.17 mg/L. Mazloum’s technical report on the findings noted that long-term exposure can affect bone density and kidney function in humans and wildlife.

> Lithium and vanadium at concentrations Lazarte’s letter described as abnormally high relative to rainwater or normal groundwater.

> Elevated levels of manganese, iron, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and potassium consistent with industrial discharge. Manganese, a battery process tracer, can have neurological effects at chronic doses. Excess phosphorus can cause algae blooms that strip oxygen from waterways.

> Ammonia in the form of nitrogen at 1.68 mg/L, amplifying the algae bloom risk.

Strip away the sensationalism, and it just doesn't seem like much? None of these levels seem to be high enough to impair health. The 1.68ppm of ammonia would likely contribute to algae growth, but not majorly, especially if properly diluted. Home aquariums regularly run between 0 and 0.25ppm of NH3 without major issues, so as long as this is diluted 6x it shouldn't impact things.

I hate elon as much as the next guy, and they should have disposed of the water properly, but it doesn't seem to be anything like them running their unpermitted power plants in Memphis.

Obviously, discharging "dark and murky" polluted water is bad. But some of the figures from the lab report don't seem that terrible:

* Hexavalent chromium at 0.0104 milligrams per liter, just above the lab’s reporting limit of 0.01 mg/L. Hexavalent chromium is classified as a known human carcinogen by the US National Toxicology Program. It is the substance the Erin Brockovich case was built around.

* Arsenic at 0.0025 mg/L. That is below the federal drinking water standard of 0.01 mg/L, but present.

The hexavalent chromium is also just barely above the California drinking water standard [1]

[1] https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/drinking_water/certlic/drinki...

[flagged]

[flagged]

> Quality, the state environmental regulator known as TCEQ, had quietly issued Tesla a wastewater discharge permit on January 15, 2025.

Are permits issued loudly usually?