Toxic Spillage at Samsung Austin Leaves “Virtually no Surviving Aquatic Life”

Electronic waste isn’t the only environmental concern when it comes to technological manufacturing; toxic byproducts also have to be contended with, with tech companies spending millions of dollars to comply with environmental disposal regulations. Sometimes, however, things don’t go as they’re supposed to. Such was the case with a toxic spillage from Samsung’s Austin, Texas manufacturing facility, which spilled the equivalent of 763,000 gallons of acid waste towards a nearby stormwater bond, which which feeds into a tributary of the Harris Branch Creek in Northeast Austin.

The spillage is estimated to have occurred over 100+ days, and the consequences are severe. According to a report published by an Environmental Officer working for Austin City Council, the spillage left “virtually no surviving aquatic life” due to it lowering the water body’s pH down to levels between 2 and 3 (which is deadly toxic even for adult aquatic life). According to Samsung, it stopped the discharges as soon as they were noticed, saying that “a majority of the wastewater was contained on-site; however, a portion was inadvertently released into an unnamed small tributary that is upstream of Harris Branch Creek.” The company further stated it has hired a cleanup specialist, with aims to “restore the tributary” and prevent dissemination of the toxic waste throughout the main branch of the Harris Branch Creek.

State-appointed investigators have in the meantime confirmed that the toxic discharge has ceased, and measured recovering pH levels between January 14th and January 19th, which so far seem to have normalized at the expected pH 6.7 and 8.5 interval. The damage to aquatic life is done, however, and recovery efforts will have to be monitored.