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Despite concerns from residents, Cameron County commissioners vote for resolution supporting SpaceX

1 year 8 months 4 weeks ago Tuesday, July 19 2022 Jul 19, 2022 July 19, 2022 10:48 PM July 19, 2022 in News - Local

Cameron County commissioners voted to pass a resolution that supported the SpaceX Starship super heavy project at the Boca Chica launch site.

“The program is going forward with or without the resolution,” Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño said. “But we just felt that we wanted to make sure as a community that we're supportive of them, with the understanding that there are concerns, and we'll continue to raise them."

Community members, organizations and Brownsville residents voiced their concerns.

Rebekah Hinojosa with the Sierra Club said she wanted the county to consider potential environmental hazards.

“SpaceX is in between a wildlife corridor, right next to the Lower Rio Grande Valley Wildlife Refuge,” Hinojosa said. “We've already seen impacts to endangered species there, those concerns haven't been addressed."

Emma Guevara handed over 200 comments from Cameron County residents to commissioners.

“All this is going to do is further destroy our beach, further destroy these natural, the natural wildlife that we have out there, further destroy ancestral lands that our tribe has not been able to visit since this happened," Guevara said.

Both residents also expressed concern about explosions risks after a booster engine test resulted in an explosion at the testing site last week.

RELATED: Booster engine testing ends in flames at SpaceX launch site

Judge Trevino said he hopes no other blast happens, but there may be other similar scenarios.

“We just want to make sure that the impact to human life and to the environment and to the area is minimal, and that they obviously prepare for and that it's addressed,” Trevino said.

The resolution shows the economic impact SpaceX has had on the county by creating more than 1,600 jobs. In 2021, production of goods and services in the Cameron County facility also led to an estimated $650 million in value to the economy and the county.

"So far, to date, the impact has been much more positive than negative that SpaceX has had on the area," Trevino said. "We want that ratio to continue."

Commissioners also voted to abandon a portion of four county roads near the facility. The county will no longer maintain the roads. The responsibility will now be in the hands of private land owners and SpaceX. 

"The concern that we were impeding or impacting public access to Boca Chica beach or anything like that, that's not what happened in regards to these abandonments," Trevino said. 

The judge said public access to Boca Chica beach will continue unless SpaceX is testing. 

Watch the video above for the full story.

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