According to a report provided by an Austin City Council Environmental Officer (PDF), a significant discharge of chemicals occurred in a neighbouring drainage pond, which feeds a tributary of the Harris Branch Creek in Northeast Austin.
Up to 763,000 gallons of acidic sewage were dumped into the pond, which flowed for more than 100 days into a neighbouring creek. The pollution’s result, largely sulfuric acid waste, isn’t surprising, with “almost no surviving aquatic life” reported throughout the impacted stream by the Watershed Protection Department (WPD).
Surprisingly, pH readings of 3 to 4 were found in areas of the tributary to Harris Branch Creek. It’s highly acidic, comparable to home vinegar or grapefruit juice, as compared to what you’d expect in a healthy pond or stream. Adult fish die at a pH of 3 to 4, according to a quick reference pH chart supplied by the US Department of the Interior.
A Samsung spokesperson stated to local news outlets such as CBS Austin. “A majority of the wastewater was controlled on-site,” Samsung says, “but a fraction was spilled accidentally into an unnamed tiny tributary upstream of Harris Branch Creek.” Samsung claimed it stopped the discharges, recruited a cleanup specialist, and is working to find a solution to the problem and “restore the tributary” after detecting the leak. Fortunately, the Harris Branch Creek’s main branch appeared to be unscathed by the disaster upstream.
Investigators confirmed the discharge had stopped and discovered that the tributary had restored to near-normal acidity levels, between pH 6.7 and 8.5, between measurements taken on January 14 and 19. Because the long-term effects of the wastewater leak are unknown at this time, Samsung’s environmental hire will continue to monitor the pond side, as well as weekly monitoring by the WPD.
While it may be desirable to have a large semiconductor plant developed in your county or state for the sake of advancement, the economy, and jobs, you may have to pay a moderate to significant environmental price. Countless fish and amphibians have paid the ultimate price in the case of Samsung Austin. According to the WPD assessment, public access to the affected waterways was limited, with no parks nearby and no signs of individuals living in encampments.
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