BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – On Thursday, a public information meeting at the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex addressed the potential environmental impact of SpaceX’s Starship launches, as required by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.
The act mandates that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) assess environmental impacts before granting launch licenses.
Titusville resident Darryl Burns attended the meeting, where he expressed hope that the launches wouldn’t have significant environmental consequences.
“I’ve lived here over 12 years,” said Burns. “I came out to hear what’s going on. We are for it.”
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The FAA’s environmental impact study will examine several key areas, including air quality, biological resources, hazardous materials, solid waste and pollution, and water resources.
However, others are concerned. Wildlife advocates and residents near SpaceX’s testing facility in Boca Chica, Texas, have raised issues since 2018 about environmental damage and road closures.
Lifelong Titusville resident Bryan Thompson said he’s noticed the changes through the decades.
“We had oyster beds, clam beds, a little bit of everything in our ecosystem,” Thompson said. “I support the space industry, but there needs to be a balance. This rocket, it’s big. It’s a little bit too big.”
The FAA plans to release a draft of the study by December 2024.
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