Judge Won’t Block Trump Administration From Giving SpaceX Acres of Wildlife Refuge in Land Swap
The ruling keeps a 715-acre swap alive as SpaceX seeks to expand Starbase, while the judge said plaintiffs lacked proof of irreparable harm.
- On Monday, U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. denied a preliminary injunction sought by environmental groups, allowing the land exchange between SpaceX and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to proceed as planned.
- Conservation groups including the Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit in June, alleging that SpaceX rocket test launches degrade the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge and prevent public access.
- Ruling that plaintiffs failed to establish standing or irreparable harm, Rodriguez dismissed claims that future rocket activity would prevent wildlife observation or damage historical lands.
- The government and SpaceX executed the land swap agreement on September 1, with the title transfer expected Tuesday, September 22, to facilitate expansion of the Massey Test Site near Starbase.
- Laiken Jordahl, a public lands advocate at the Center, stated litigation will continue, asserting the refuge holds "incredible spiritual, historical and conservation value" for South Texas.
19 Articles
19 Articles
Denver Post
Judge won’t block Trump administration from giving SpaceX acres of wildlife refuge in land swap
Environmental groups vowed to continue their legal challenge.
Judge won’t block Trump administration from giving SpaceX acres of wildlife refuge in land swap – WTOP News
McALLEN, Texas (AP) — A federal judge on Monday refused to block the Trump administration from giving SpaceX more than 700 acres (280 hectares) of wildlife refuge as part of a land swap in Texas, while environmental groups vowed to continue their legal challenge. U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. declined the plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction to prevent the parcel exchange, saying they failed to prove it would worsen ecol…
Cherokee Tribune Ledger News
Judge won't block Trump administration from giving SpaceX acres of wildlife refuge in land swap
A federal judge has refused to block the Trump administration from giving SpaceX more than 700 acres of wildlife refuge as part of a land swap in Texas. Meanwhile environmental groups vowed to continue their legal challenge. The judge on…
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