South Texas groups trying to stop state’s land swap with SpaceX

SpaceX rockets at the launch pad at the Brownsville facility on Oct. 20, 2021. Texas Parks and Wildlife is negotiating a land swap that would give the company part of Boca Chica State Park., The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.

In the lawsuit filed last week in the district court of Travis County, environmental groups argue that the exchange is unlawful because the state failed to consider alternatives to giving away public land and failed to ensure the minimization of harm to public land. The groups also argue that the state did not consider the best interests of the local community. The suit states that SpaceX does not own the land the state would receive in the swap.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department acquired Boca Chica State Park, located at Texas’ southernmost point along the Gulf Coast, in 1994 through a federal program aimed to preserve the land. The area provides habitat for some endangered species. SpaceX began purchasing land in the area in 2012 to build a rocket manufacturing and test launch facility. The lawsuit alleges that SpaceX’s operations have caused damage to public lands by increasing runoff of stormwater and creating pollution.

Disclosure: Texas Parks And Wildlife Department has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete

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