Space vehicle manufacturer SpaceX fined for hazardous waste violations

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has fined Hawthorne, Calif.-based Space Exploration Technologies Inc., also known as SpaceX, $45,600 for violating hazardous waste requirements of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.

SpaceX designs and manufactures launch vehicles, which are used to place satellites into orbit and to deliver cargo to the international space station. SpaceX also manufactures the liquid fuel rockets that power the launch vehicles as well as all associated avionics.

“High tech stature does not preclude innovative firms from complying with federal environmental laws that protect their employees, the surrounding community and the environment,” said Jared Blumenfeld, the EPA’s regional administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “SpaceX, like any other manufacturer, will be held accountable for improper storage and handling of the hazardous waste it generates.”

During a 2009 inspection of the facility, EPA investigators found that SpaceX, a designer and manufacturer of orbital space delivery systems, had multiple hazardous waste violations. The SpaceX violations included:

• improperly storing hazardous waste on site for longer than the 180-day time limit;
• failure to close hazardous waste containers;
• not labeling or improperly labeling hazardous waste containers;
• storing hazardous waste in crowded conditions that impaired inspection;
• failure to perform waste determination.

EPA's hazardous waste rules require facilities to properly store, label and close hazardous waste containers. Facilities must also have properly trained staff, as improperly stored hazardous waste can potentially spill and pose a risk to workers and the environment.

For more information on the U.S. EPA’s hazardous waste program, visit www.epa.gov/osw/hazard.