In South Texas, SpaceX faces skepticism over environmental damage

   

“In South Texas, SpaceX faces skepticism over environmental damage” was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

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BOCA CHICA — It wasn’t just a day at the beach.

But it never is on this small strip of sand near the Texas-Mexico border, not since SpaceX began launching rockets here.

On this particular Saturday in August, about a dozen people traveled here to celebrate what the beach meant to them and raise awareness about the harm they see the new space industry doing to the environment.

An art installation of fabrics waving in the wind met the crowd as they approached the water and splashed into the waves. It was meant to evoke memories of families spending time here in decades past.

For a few hours, the beachgoers were treated to quesadillas, oysters, and a variety of casseroles as they lounged under tents appreciating the beach that has undergone drastic changes in less than a decade.

​A SpaceX rocket launch platform towered behind them.

The beach was once considered a local secret but is now at the center of a struggle between locals who want to preserve it as it once was and those who see it as a site for innovation.

Members of the ENTRE Film Center, a local film center and regional archive, hosted the gathering at Boca Chica to celebrate the beach and motivate people to fight for its preservation, which they view as being in jeopardy since the arrival of Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

“This is the people’s beach, this is our beach,” said Nansi Guevara, a visual artist who created the art installation. “And we’re gonna fight to protect it.”

ENTRE is among a coalition of Rio Grande Valley groups that have scrutinized the activity at Starbase, SpaceX’s Boca Chica headquarters, and have spent years pushing back on attempts by the company to expand its operations here.

A panoramic view of Boca Chica Beach with the SpaceX launch facility to the left and members of the ENTRE Film Center, a local film center and regional archive, set up near the dunes on the right. Credit: Ben Lowy for The Texas Tribune

This summer, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality have noted environmental concerns over SpaceX’s proposal to increase the number of launches per year here.

The concerned groups continue to challenge the company and the government agencies over fears of the environmental impact and increasing denial of beach access to the public.

The Federal Aviation Administration was set to hold public hearings in August on SpaceX’s proposal to launch its Starship/Super Heavy rocket 25 times per year from Boca Chica. However, the coalition urged the agency to restart its public participation process.

In a letter to the FAA, they called for a full environmental impact statement, in English and Spanish, that takes into account all the potentially adverse effects of SpaceX. They also asked for more time for the public to review the reports.

“SpaceX is an issue that’s constantly changing, that is getting rubber-stamped permits by regulatory agencies that have really broken processes,” said Bekah Hinojosa, co-founder of the South Texas Environmental Justice Network.

A spokesperson for SpaceX declined an interview for this story.

The FAA, ultimately, postponed the public hearings after the agency became aware of allegations first reported by CNBC that SpaceX violated the Clean Water Act at the Boca Chica Launch Site and was unable to confirm the accuracy of SpaceX’s license application and its draft environmental assessment, according to an agency spokesperson.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality also confirmed that it cited SpaceX for violating regulations. The state reached an agreement with SpaceX to address the issue. The formal agreement is pending approval from the commission or its executive director.

SpaceX responded to the allegations in a post on X, stating it was working with the environmental commission to obtain an individual permit for its water deluge system after previously operating under a Texas Multi-Sector General Permit, which regulates the discharge of stormwater used for industry. The company also noted that both TCEQ and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have allowed their operations to continue.

The CNBC report also raised concerns about traces of mercury in the non-stormwater discharge. However, SpaceX said there was a typo in the permit application and assured that mercury levels were well below state and federal water quality criteria.

Christopher Basaldú, a member of the Carrizo/Comecrudo Tribe, doesn’t take SpaceX at its word and believes the environmental harm on the area is undeniable. The tribe considers Boca Chica to be sacred land and is currently suing the Texas Park and Wildlife Department for agreeing to a land swap deal with SpaceX.

As part of the deal, the Texas Park and Wildlife Commission agreed to give 43 acres of Boca Chica State Park to SpaceX in exchange for 477 acres adjacent to Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge.

Christopher Basaldú from the Carrizo Comecrudo Tribe of Texas near Port Isabel on April 1, 2023. Credit: Michael Gonzalez for The Texas Tribune

“SpaceX has always been polluting,” Basaldú said. “And I think people are kind of brainwashed into thinking that rockets –– constructing rockets, testing rockets and blowing up rockets –– that somehow that’s not causing pollution.”

He added that if SpaceX were to receive FAA approval to launch rockets 25 times a year, that would prompt more frequent shutdowns of State Highway 4, the only road that leads to Boca Chica, limiting access to residents.

“If they’re launching 25 times a year, that’s basically every other week, so it looks like they are going to shut down Highway 4 for half of the year,” he said.

In addition to limiting beach access due to SpaceX launches, another change to the area is the arrival of Musk and SpaceX superfans who gather along the road adjacent to the launch site.

Swimmers at the Boca Chica Beach on Aug. 31. The popular beach near Brownsville is adjacent to a massive SpaceX facility. Credit: Ben Lowy for The Texas Tribune

On that same Saturday, a brown pickup truck with the words “Base Camp Zero” emblazoned on the side sat parked across the launch site. A large tent covered the truck where Calvin Wehrle heated food on a hot plate.

Wehrle, a Galveston resident, travels to Boca Chica several times a year. He camps out for weeks at a time, hoping to get a front-row seat to rocket launches.

As a former member of the Galveston Sierra Club, Wehrle thinks environmentalists are in a losing fight against SpaceX and advises that they work with the company to preserve what they can.

“I’ve seen this happen and I made the mistake of fighting that,” Wehrle said. “And a lot of this development, you can’t win.”

But Basaldú, who wants nothing short of the complete dismantling of SpaceX’s operations at Boca Chica and the restoration of the wildlife habitat areas, believes a complete reversal of what SpaceX has done can be accomplished.

“Shut it down, take it apart,” Basaldú said. “Human hands made it, built it; human hands can tear it down, too.”

Reporting in the Rio Grande Valley is supported in part by the Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc.

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This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2024/09/04/space-x-south-texas-environment/.

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