'Last week 400 fab workers evacuated due to an arsine gas leak; the week prior 12 Santa Clara fab workers evacuated due to toxic gas leak; 2mo prior there was a silane gas fire at a Sunnyvale fab & everyone within a half-mile radius was evacuated; 6mo prior Gilroy chemical plant workers evacuated due to toxic gas leak (3rd time in 3 years); last yr emergency crews blew up 55 cylinders of a "bad batch" of gases... So far the Valley's escaped a toxic gas disaster. Let's not press our luck.' (1989)
EPA's report explained Apple is exhausting its fab emissions into the outdoor air. The only abatement technology Apple used was 2 activated charcoal boxes for the entire factory (no scrubbers), & Apple never evaluated it to determine if it would actually neutralize the chemicals.
🧵 I’m sorry to do this to you, but there’s a Part 2 for the update on semiconductor fab at 3250 Scott!
I waited to share this part because I worried most of you would not be able to handle all of this at once. But you’ve had a week to recover, so let’s dive into how Apple execs are giving themselves bonuses as a reward for illegal dumping!
The efficacy of Apple's charcoal filters is an open question.
Apple didn't change the filters for 5 years between 2015-2020, so they probably didn't work at all by 2020. (think about not changing the filter in your water pitcher for five years)
But even after replacing the filters Apple never tested them, & apparently simply guesstimated that the system should remove between 50-90% of chemical vapors, maybe.
Apple wasn't monitoring the amount or contents of its emissions, & had no permits for its exhaust. So Apple can't know what was being dumped into the air. However, Apple guessed that after the charcoal, it vented at least 7000 – 16000 kg of chemical vapors into the air EACH YEAR.
Apple’s annual SEC reports include the quantity of corporate haz waste Apple sends to landfills each year. CalEPA reports on the total amount of haz waste transported from the facility each year. 3250 Scott is the source of ~30% of Apple’s total global corporate hazardous waste.
Apple keeps saying they are “diverting” waste from landfills. However, diversion means waste was sent somewhere, just not a landfill. For haz waste, a landfill is a registered TSDF.
If Apple is not sending its hazardous waste to a legal TSDF, where is all of that waste going?
Look at Apple’s global & 3250 Scott waste output, & consider time timing of “Zero Waste”
Starting in 2019 there was a dramatic decrease in the amount of haz waste sent to landfills. In 2020, 3250 Scott reduced its legal hazardous waste disposal by -229%
Around 2019, Apple launched a new initiative they called “Zero Waste.” Apple proclaimed it'll reduce the amount of haz waste it sends to landfills (TSDFs) to 0.
Apple began reporting a new metric: % of waste “diverted” from landfills.
In 2021, Apple launched a new executive compensation program where Apple execs get more money if it looks like Apple's being environmentally responsible. Progress on Zero Waste gives the execs more money! Apple is dumping to get to Zero. Apple is giving execs bonuses for dumping.
So, we have evidence of emissions, violations, missing waste, unmonitored exhaust, & an incentive to "disappear" hazardous waste on site
Also in Apple's 2023 10K filing Apple complained that compliance with env laws is "onerous & expensive" & it harms Apple to follow env laws.
Apple also set industry standards for chemical use, including banning a number of chemicals from their supply chain. Meanwhile, Apple vented the same banned chemicals into my bedroom (NMP, Toluene, Hexane, Benzene, etc.)
Apple reduced cost by illegally venting toxic waste instead of legally disposing & also got good PR by claiming dumping is "diversion." But how'd Apple stop gov from finding out?
Apple intentionally didn't train any employees on haz waste disposal, but did teach PR "crisis mgmt"
Finally Apple also literally put Apple Global Security in charge of haz waste disposal & spills.
All of this excitement about Apple's many toxic waste failures was apparently too much for DropBox and they needed to take a break. In the meantime, I've now also shared the documents here: https://drive.proton.me/urls/KPZ6E314Q8#BK4LU2W3FWur
The US EPA inspector also came across a pile of random containers of hazardous waste, apparently thrown in the corner of the Bunker. Three container's contents were unknown. All 10 were not dated & had not been analyzed. Apple claimed they had just left them there that morning.
Speaking of Apple's Chemical Bunker...when US EPA started looking around, it saw 30 containers of corrosive liquid, & 12 containers of flammable liquids, all "stacked against the wall." The labels were not visible so EPA had to dig through the jugs to figure out what was there.
My civil lawsuit against Apple includes 2 toxic tort claims for what theyre doing at this factory. I alleged Nuisance + Ultrahazardous Activities. The US Judge is letting me proceed with both claims. https://casetext.com/case/gjovik-v-apple-inc-1
Apple can keep flailing around, but we're in US court now & they will be forced to face the music. I'm also waiting to hear from US Dept of Labor Judge if I can add RCRA, Clean Air Act, & TSCA retaliation claims.
Finally, its also possible DOJ could pursue criminal charges.
Finally, lets talk about Apple's factory exhaust into the ambient air next to thousands of homes and two public parks.
Much of Apple's solvent exhaust was vented out "as is" (unabated) from the main system.
The illegal solvent treatment tank exhaust did go through the untested carbon boxes, but then it was released out of a tiny vent pointed *down* at the building. Any gases heavier then air would be directed to the ground level to pool into toxic vapor plumes.
This is my true-crime-podcast of an account dedicated to my whistleblower legal battle with my ex-employer, Apple ComputerAsk me about Apple's neglected offices on dangerous toxic waste dumps; Apple's secret silicon fab exhausting metric tons of solvents & lethal gases in the middle of dense residential neighborhoods; & how Apple fired me after I learned about it & complained to the US gov.Moved from: @ashleygjovik