The “world’s richest man,” billionaire Elon Musk, wants to expand his private SpaceX facility at Boca Chica Beach in Brownsville, TX. Nearby residents have been speaking out against the destructive operations of the SpaceX facility for years. The SpaceX facility is currently located and is planning to expand on sacred land to the Carrizo Comecrudo Tribe of South Texas, which is being built without their consent.
Since the facility began operations in 2019, Elon Musk’s SpaceX rocket testing has caused numerous fires and explosions that threatened the people of Brownsville’s safety and has caused a dangerous grassfire. Operations have also displaced people from their homes at Boca Chica Village, and every month has stripped locals’ access to the pristine beach. If the expansion progresses, the gentrification and damages will only increase in size and scale.
Facing the direct threats of this facility’s operations are many low-income communities of color, national wildlife refuges with endangered species like the Aplomado falcon and ocelot, and two proposed fracked gas (LNG) plants that would pose extreme safety risks on their own.
Watch the video Stop SpaceX Colonization of the Rio Grande Valley by Bekah Hinojosa. The video features testimonials from local community members speaking out about harmful SpaceX operations at the April 6, 2021, City of Brownsville Commission Meeting.