SpaceX's Flawed Starship Launch Just Got the FAA Sued
- by Gizmodo
- Jun 17, 2024
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Yet, despite these observed effects, the FAA didn’t require an in-depth Environmental Impact Statement
before approving SpaceX’s Starship plans. Instead, the agency granted Musk’s company the go-ahead, as long as SpaceX agreed to meet a list of environmental monitoring requirements—which conservation advocates told Gizmodo at the time “don’t have any teeth.”
Now, the Center for Biological Diversity, American Bird Conservancy, and three other Texas local non-profit groups have come together to sue the FAA—claiming violations of the National Environmental Policy and Administrative Procedure Acts.
The explosive Starship launch was widely reported on. However, as the legal complain points out, it is far from the only major, fiery event to occur at SpaceX’s Boca Chica site in recent years. In 2022, a SpaceX-caused fire burned 68 acres
of an adjacent National Wildlife Refuge. In total, at least eight explosions and fires have happened in the past five years, the suit claims. Then, there’s the everyday potential for environmental disruption from the increased vehicle traffic, sound, light, and pollution.
In order to better understand and prevent future harm, the plaintiffs are aiming to force the FAA to conduct a deeper environmental review, which could hold up further SpaceX launches at Boca Chica for years. Currently, “proposed mitigation by the agency isn’t enough to prevent the launch program from causing significant environmental harm,” the Center for Biological Diversity said to Gizmodo in an emailed statement. “The suit calls for a full environmental analysis to truly protect threatened and endangered species.”
Gizmodo reached out to SpaceX and the FAA with questions. The federal agency responded only to say, “the FAA does not comment on ongoing litigation matters.” SpaceX did not reply by publication time.
Want to know more about Elon Musk’s space venture? Check out our full coverage of SpaceX’s Starship megarocket
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