Current wastewater permits for chemical plants don’t explicitly authorize discharge of plastics, other than “trace amounts” of “floating solids.”
“Dow would like to be able to discharge an unspecified amount of plastic,” Ramirez said. “It could set a dangerous precedent, and we’ll fight it every step of the way.”
Texas is a failed, theological, extremist, oil state that regularly commits acts of state terrorism resulting in mass casualty public health events that were entirely avoidable.
I don’t remember the plant/company but several years ago I worked a failure analysis job that involved a failed plastic storage silo that was constantly leaking plastic pellets. They only repaired it when the crack became big enough that it was considered a structural concern. The cost in loss of product was essentially nothing and there was no consequence for spilling it.
Remember, when all you do is fine people/corporations for violations (health, safety, or otherwise), its not a punishment, its a cost of doing business.