Louisiana governor ‘not concerned’ about environmental impact of Gulf Coast SpaceX facility

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) on Wednesday morning brushed aside fears about possible negative environmental impacts from SpaceX’s planned $100 billion launch facility in the state.

He told CBS News on Wednesday that he was “not concerned about the environmental impact” of this new spaceport, which will be constructed along the Gulf Coast on a former Exxon property in Vermilion Parish, La.

“What I am concerned about is the lack of economic opportunity on the coast that continues to basically rob us of opportunities to rebuild our coast,” the governor said.

The spaceport will be the company’s fourth and largest launch site, and it will serve as the main facility for Starship, SpaceX’s in-development reusable rocket launch system.

SpaceX got into hot water over its operations at its first launch site in Boca Chica, Texas.

In 2024, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality found that the company violated environmental regulations by repeatedly releasing pollutants into nearby bodies of water.

This followed an earlier warning by the Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 office, which oversees Texas, that SpaceX violated the Clean Water Act with these actions.

Elon Musk’s company said in a statement that it was committed to working with federal and state agencies and conservation groups “to protect shoreline, restore wetlands, and support the wildlife and recreation that depend on them” in Louisiana.

Musk thanked state partners for their support of this new facility in a statement shared by the Louisiana Economic Development (LED) on Tuesday.

“SpaceX was founded to bring about a future where humans are out exploring amongst the stars, which will only be possible when we make going to space as routine as flying on an airplane,” Musk said. “Starbase, Louisiana will unlock that future.

“Thank you Governor Landry and the people of Louisiana for joining us on this journey, and for their help in the years ahead as we work together to build one of the most inspirational places on the planet,” he continued.

The LED estimated the facility will generate over 11,000 new job opportunities in the area, including around 3,000 direct jobs and over 8,000 indirect jobs.

Construction on this project is anticipated to begin next year with the first launch expected as soon as 2029, according to LED’s announcement.

Landry called this new partnership with SpaceX “the greatest marriage that Louisiana has ever had” in his interview with CBS.

“It’s a great partnership. We are not concerned about those issues,” he said, referring again to the environmental concerns.