August 28, 2024
SpaceX Updates: FAA Postpones Meetings
Words by Nina Alegre
Edited by Abigail Vela
The aerospace company SpaceX, which has operated in Boca Chica since at least 2014, has had a significant negative impact on the Rio Grande Valley. SpaceX’s effects on our community have brought several stresses to our residents, such as pushing homeowners to sell their properties, closing roads/beach access and harming the wildlife of Boca Chica Beach.
It seems like SpaceX releases new updates every month that continue to destroy our community in various ways. About two weeks ago, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) decided to postpone all five of the scheduled public hearings that would have been hosted by the U.S. federal government agency at South Padre Island, Port Isabel and virtually. The FAA posted a statement on August 12 that left many Valley residents at a loss as to why this decision was made.
But despite everything that has been going on concerning either SpaceX or the FAA, it is with the help of residents and organizations like the South Texas Environmental Justice Network (SOTXEJN) who speak up about these injustices that we continue to strive as a community to stop Elon Musk’s colonization which won’t stop at Boca Chica but plans to go beyond our planet and onto Mars.
FAA Meetings, Draft EA and SpaceX
The FAA meetings planned for August were for the Draft Tiered Environmental Assessment (Draft EA) for SpaceX’s desire to increase the launches and landings of the Starship/Super Heavy rocket from Boca Chica up to 25 times.
Unfortunately, the meetings were canceled with less than a day’s notice. Many Valley residents and members of organizations have voiced their concerns about how the FAA has handled this process so far, mainly because the FAA did not provide any information about why the meetings were canceled.
Martin Cuevas (he/him), born and raised in Brownsville, wrote in his public comment, “Firstly, may I say making an already inaccessible way of having citizens communicate with the powers that be even more inaccessible by completely canceling in-person and virtual meetings last second does nothing but harm citizens and degrade public trust. I got time off work Thursday for the seminar with the FAA that I needed to ask for a week in advance, only to find out today it’s been canceled. That actually damages us—those that need every hour of work possible to barely afford our living situation.”
Christopher Basaldú (any pronouns), co-founder of SOTXEJN, gave his opinion on the FAA and the postponed meetings. Basaldú said that the environmental threat to Boca Chica Beach and the surrounding area is reprehensible and that, for this reason, the FAA should be held accountable for how badly it has neglected its duties and responsibilities.
Earlier this month, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) found that SpaceX has been releasing pollutants into Texas waterways, violating environmental regulations. SpaceX has denied the claims on X, stating that the waters are not polluted and that the news story is inaccurate. This leaves us Valley residents wondering if this is the reason for the delayed public hearings.
Basaldú kept his stance, saying, “SpaceX has consistently and purposefully deceived regulators like FAA, TCEQ and Fish and Wildlife, in order to [unwisely accelerate] their destructive ambitions. The FAA’s public comment process was deeply flawed, inaccessible and racist. The FAA should cancel all launch licenses for SpaceX at Boca Chica indefinitely.”
Currently, the FAA has only said that it is seeking additional information from SpaceX before rescheduling the public meetings.
Protecting Our Environment and Ecosystems
Boca Chica Beach is one of the places remarked by many families as a place to spend quality time with their loved ones. Many people can consider Boca Chica Beach the “poor man’s beach” as opposed to having to make the drive up to South Padre Island, which can be more expensive. Boca Chica Beach is always free at no cost, but having access to it is often hard due to SpaceX overtaking it.
As you drive down the road to Boca Chica Beach, one must witness the displays of affection written to Elon Musk, such as words on concrete walls or barriers aimed at the billionaire destroying our beach.
But it is our duty as citizens to protect our environment and ecosystems because they’re as fragile as we are. Many species are native to the beach, such as the Piping Plover and other shorebirds. It hurts to think of the harm that has been done to these animals throughout these years, such as in the case of the wildfire that burned 68 acres of brush at a protected refuge in September 2022.
Unidos for Boca Chica
As Brownsville’s population continues to grow year by year, it is our duty as Valley residents to try to protect the beautiful, rich environment that we live in. While the congressmen of our town, from former mayor Trey Mendez to the current mayor John Cowen, have stated their support for SpaceX, it is of great danger to us that various other city officials continue to believe that Elon Musk has raised the town of Brownsville toward greatness. The people in power do not see the hard work that our neighbors, friends and family do every day to give a good name to this town, which many look down on.
This also means that the RGV must unite to fight for the protection of Boca Chica Beach because this affects everyone, not just those who live in Brownsville but everyone in the Valley. We have to stand closely together, supporting one another, ignoring the city limits, the walls and the borders that are placed to divide us, and remember that this is the place we inhabit. We must not let it fall from our grasp like sand.
While the FAA postponing these meetings seems like a step that can harm us, it gives us more time as a community to continue working together and unify us to let our voices be heard. Join us by creating a wave of force that will ripple through the Valley as we say: Fuera SpaceX, we don’t want you here anymore!
Update: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released an official update on Aug. 29 regarding the reason for the postponement of the public meetings, stating: “On August 9th, 2024, the FAA became aware of allegations that SpaceX violated the Clean Water Act at the Boca Chica Launch Site. The FAA was unable to confirm the accuracy of certain representations in SpaceX’s license application and the Draft Tiered Environmental Assessment prior to the public meetings scheduled for August 13th, 15th, and 20th. As a result, the FAA chose to postpone the public meetings until these matters could be resolved.”
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