By ALEXANDREA BAILEY
[email protected]
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has postponed three public meetings scheduled for this month regarding SpaceX’s plans to increase launches and landings of its Starship/Super Heavy spacecraft. The FAA
did not give the public a reason for the postponement and the administration apologized “for any inconvenience.”
The FAA assured that the meetings would be rescheduled and confirmed that the file remains open for public comments, which can be submitted at www.regulations.gov under file number FAA-2024-2006 or by mail.
Mail to Ms. Amy Hanson, FAA Environmental Specialist, c/o ICF 1902 Reston Metro Plaza Reston, VA, 20190.
The first meeting was scheduled for August 13 at the SPI Convention Center, and the second was scheduled for August 15 across the causeway at the PI Event Center. In addition, the FAA postponed the virtual meeting scheduled for August 15.
for August 20th.
SpaceX’s draft multi-stage environmental impact assessment (Draft Environmental Impact Assessment) was to be publicly discussed at the meetings. The Draft Environmental Impact Assessment evaluates SpaceX’s application to conduct up to 25 orbital launches per year and
Landings of the Starship/Super Heavy vehicle in Boca Chica.
According to the Sierra Club, members of the South TX Environmental Justice Network (SOTXEJN) and concerned residents planned to gather outside of the public meetings with “Fuera SpaceX” signs and informational brochures.
SpaceX’s launch proposal would destroy ecosystems and lands sacred to the Carrizo/Comecrudo tribe, the Sierra Club claims. In addition, the Sierra Club stated that community members have raised concerns about being excluded from the FAA’s review process of the SpaceX proposal. In addition, the Sierra Club criticized the lack of a Spanish translation and claimed that the deadline for comment was “too short.”
A letter was sent to Congressman Vincente Gonzalez and the FAA urging them to correct the process. The letter was signed by representatives of several organizations from across the Rio Grande Valley, including the
SOTXEJN, Another Gulf is Possible Collaborative, Border Workers United, the Carrizo/Comecrudo Traditional Tribe, Voces Unidas, the ENTRE Film Center & Regional Archive, Texas Rising RGV, the Frontera Fund, Arise Adelante, Trucha in McAllen, Centro por la Justicia and the South Texas Human Rights Center.
“The FAA’s current review and engagement process is inadequate and hinders the engagement of our community members who are directly affected by SpaceX’s activities… The public
“The engagement process does not provide sufficient opportunity for our low-income, marginalized, largely bilingual Spanish-English speaking, predominantly people of color and Indigenous communities to participate and publicly voice their concerns about the ongoing harms caused by SpaceX in the Cameron County region,” the letter said.
The PRESS has asked the FAA for comment on these allegations, but no response was received at the time of publication.
