Ashley M. Gjøvik, JDJun 23, 2024
🧵 In 2020, I nearly died from mysterious industrial chemical exposure at my apartment. Later, in 2023, I discovered my employer was dumping toxic waste into the apartment windows from their Skunkworks semiconductor fab next-door. I tipped off the US EPA, who sent their env cops to raid Apple's plant in Aug of 2023. The US EPA finally released the report of their enforcement inspections & sent me a copy on Friday. 💀 ⬇️
Show threadAshley M. Gjøvik, JDJun 23, 2024

US EPA Enforcement & Compliance conducted 3 onsite inspections of Apple's fab facility in 8/2023 + 1/2024. US EPA noted at least *19* potential violations of the RCRA hazardous waste statute.

I just posted US EPA's report for public access. Dropbox link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/312oqvretg7yyhfx0ohx4/AGZduVXs0_1geqIyi0NA9nE?rlkey=3aa2tw15ek3trqlbdh7pw9erh&st=e7pg1cpp&dl=0

2024_04_30_Apple_3250_Scott_RCRA_Insp_Report

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Show threadAshley M. Gjøvik, JDJun 23, 2024

After discovering what Apple did, I then spent three months requesting records & digging through regulatory filings to learn more - which led me to file a complaint to US EPA in June 2023. I met with EPA's investigators & sent them everything I discovered.

I told EPA I didn't want my whistleblowing to be anonymous, and instead, that if EPA shows up to inspect the plant, when they do, please have the EPA cops tell Apple: "Ashley says hi." 💀

Show threadAshley M. Gjøvik, JDJun 23, 2024
The inspection was supposed to be unannounced so EPA surprises the inspected party who has no chance to cover up issues before EPA gets inside. However city HazMat tipped off Apple & EPA was greeted by Apple's EH&S team. Note: what EPA found was AFTER Apple had time to clean up.
Show threadAshley M. Gjøvik, JDJun 23, 2024
TLDR; EPA discovered that Apple was:
- illegally treating hazardous waste
- illegally transporting hazardous waste to disposal facilities
- illegally dumping hazardous waste into the ambient air outside the facility (into the apartment windows)
- leaving stockpiles of extremely dangerous chemicals unattended on weekends
Show threadD2
@ashleygjovik and it’s quite bad that they seem to mislabel hazmat repeatedly. Rcra expressly is hard on cradle-to-grave documentation because we can forensically reconstruct some aspects of pollution if a partner on the feed side says ‘we sold them 100 gallons of solvent’, and another on the waste disposal says ‘nuh-uh, we only got 80 gallons, and they said it was benign wastewater’, aka the goes-intas and the goes-outas.
Jun 23, 2024 at 11:29pmWeb