Louisiana is close to bringing a SpaceX launch facility to coastal Vermilion Parish. Stephanie Riegel, the Business Editor for the Times-Picayune, confirmed Governor Jeff Landry is nearing a deal to bring the company to 130,000 acres of land the state obtained in a recent settlement with Exxon. She says the state legislature passed a collection of incentives to attract an aerospace company in the last legislative session.
“It would enjoin the parishes or the state or the municipalities or local communities from being able to sue, or from being able to try to block this from going through,” Riegel explained.
She says the bills sailed through the legislature with bipartisan support. They also prevent media from obtaining public records.
A SpaceX deal would be the latest effort by the Landry administration to bring large-scale technological infrastructure investment and construction jobs to Louisiana. Riegel says it’s unknown how much money the company plans to invest or how many direct jobs it would create. Despite the investment in a rural parish, Riegel says there have been negative effects at a similar facility near Boca Chica, Texas.
“There are a lot of concerns about the noise and the impact on people who live nearby. This would have an impact on people here too. It really would; there are just fewer people,” Riegel said.
Riegel says the proposed site neighbors two wildlife conservation areas, and many locals frequent the region to hunt and fish.
“I can’t even begin to assess what kind of damage or impact it would have on the wildlife. Obviously, it would be profound. This is an area that is known for its hunting and fishing,” Riegel noted.
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