Overview
- Independent Eurofins testing found hexavalent chromium at 0.0104 mg/L and arsenic at 0.0025 mg/L in wastewater from Tesla’s Robstown lithium refinery, with elevated lithium also reported.
- The Nueces County Drainage District No. 2 issued a cease-and-desist that seeks to stop about 231,000 gallons per day from entering its ditch, which drains to Petronila Creek and Baffin Bay.
- TCEQ previously said the refinery complied with its permit, yet the permit does not require testing for lithium or heavy metals and the agency’s review did not include those pollutants.
- The district’s consultant urged on-site advanced treatment such as reverse osmosis and heavy‑metal removal or a zero‑liquid discharge system, and Tesla said it is reviewing the letter and tests its wastewater.
- Local stakes are high as the Corpus Christi area struggles with very low reservoir levels and a stressed coastal ecosystem downstream.