Sign on Letter: Demand the FAA Halt SpaceX Launches and Conduct an Environmental Impact Statement

To:  Members of the U.S. House of Representatives

SUBJECT: Demand the FAA Halt SpaceX Launches on Boca Chica Beach, Texas, and Conduct an Environmental Impact Statement 

We, the undersigned organizations and individuals, request that you urge the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to immediately halt all space rocket testing and launching activities and conduct a complete environmental impact statement (EIS) of Elon Musk’s SpaceX launch facility on Boca Chica beach in Cameron County, Texas. The social justice and ecological costs of launching and testing the largest rocket in human history—the Starship/SuperHeavy—from South Texas are numerous, including the destruction of wildlife habitats and endangered species, pollution, and the release of flammable rocket debris. It has come to our attention that many communities and governmental officials have issued requests for further environmental review, and your office must also do so on behalf of our South Texas community. 

For the last five years, Elon Musk has conducted rocket testing on Boca Chica Beach in South Texas, which has resulted in approximately a dozen catastrophic events, causing numerous problems for the community and the environment. This has included seismic activity that was felt by Cameron County residents living up to 20 miles away from the launch pad. There are reports from residents of their windows cracking and other property damage because of the launches. The fire from rocket testing has repeatedly scorched the ground and has burned more than 60 acres of nearby federal wildlife refuge land. The Boca Chica beach area is also sacred to the original tribal people, the Carrizo Comecrudo Tribe of Texas, who must be consulted by SpaceX and the FAA. For these reasons, we demand that all launches and testing be halted and a full EIS of the damages caused by the SpaceX corporation be completed. 

The FAA has never conducted a complete environmental impact statement (EIS) of the launching of the Starship/SuperHeavy rocket and other related testing in South Texas. In 2022, the FAA hastily approved a short programmatic environmental assessment (PEA) allowing SpaceX to launch the experimental Starship/Super Heavy rocket. In 2025, another shortened EA to launch up to 25 of these dangerous rockets per year was approved at Elon Musk’s request. It is outrageous that his EA, which was  drafted by SpaceX employees, was hastily accepted and approved by the FAA. These environmental assessments cut corners and did not address the many safety concerns and associated problems with the rockets. Considering the fact that Elon Musk plans to launch the Starship/Super Heavy rocket from Florida, and the U.S. Space Force is conducting a comprehensive environmental impact statement for the Florida location, we demand that the same consideration and assessment must be taken for South Texas. 

Governmental officials outside of South Texas are speaking up and urging the FAA to take action regarding the dangerous launches from Boca Chica Beach, Texas. In Hawaii, twelve state representatives filed a bill demanding an EIS of the damages on the Hawaiian islands regions caused by the SpaceX launches from Boca Chica beach, Texas. The British government is also concerned. After a SpaceX launch littered rocket debris on the British colony of Turks and Caicos, British officials sent a letter to the federal government demanding accountability and that the U.S. government provide the United Kingdom more information regarding the need for increased safety measures. The President of Mexico has threatened to sue the SpaceX corporation due to the disastrous negative impacts that SpaceX activity is having on communities in Northern Mexico, including debris from the Boca Chica beach launches that have washed up on Playa Bagdad. Elected officials from Texas must do the same on behalf of Texas communities. We urge your office to demand that all launches from the SpaceX facility on Boca Chica Beach be halted immediately and that there be a complete environmental impact statement (EIS) for the sake of our community and the future of the wildlife habitat in the region.   

The risks and dangers associated with Elon Musk’s SpaceX plans will only increase if he continues these rocket launches; the consequences to our community could be disastrous.

Sincerely,

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