California's attorney general and multiple state environmental agencies filed a comment letter opposing a Federal Aviation Administration proposed rule that would waive 13 environmental laws for commercial space launches and operations.
The FAA's proposal would allow the agency to bypass compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Endangered Species Act, and the Clean Water Act when approving licenses and permits for commercial space launches. The rule would also reduce public opportunities to engage with and receive information about space launch projects in California.
California has significant stakes in the commercial space industry. The state hosts space launches primarily at Vandenburg Space Force Base north of Santa Barbara and has conducted over 2,000 launches to date. Approximately one-third of U.S. space technology companies are based in California, an industry accounting for approximately $37 billion in the state's annual gross domestic product and over 110,000 California jobs.
"This proposed rule ignores the values that are a bedrock of our robust economy," said California Attorney General Rob Bonta. The comment letter, filed by the California Attorney General, the California Coastal Commission, the California Natural Resources Agency, the California Environmental Protection Agency, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, argued that the FAA lacks statutory authority to waive compliance with 13 environmental laws, the proposed waiver scope is too broad, and the rule violates NEPA and the Administrative Procedure Act.