During its meeting on Oct. 10 the California Coastal Commission, an appointed group of anti-most anything liberals, voted 6-4 against allowing SpaceX to increase the number of launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base from 36 to 50.
According to a Noozhawk report: “However, the rejection could be moot because of the ongoing difference of opinion about how to handle SpaceX missions as the dispute appears to be inching toward legal action.”
The commissioners view themselves as the last chance to permit anything on the coast of California, including on federal lands; but the U.S. government and Department of Defense have a different view.
Federal lands, including military bases, are administered by the federal government and not any state or local authority.
SpaceX is one of several launch operations on VSFB, and the Space Force manages the time and day of each launch mission so that there are no conflicts. Private companies such as SpaceX provide launch services for both commercial and military/NASA programs.
Base officials are willing to consider “requests” by the Coastal Commission and Col. Mark Shoemaker, commander of launch operations, said, “We remain committed to collaborating with federal and state agencies to assess the requirements of our national security mission to provide Space Access from Vandenberg SFB, while performing our environmental stewardship mandate.”
Vandenberg has had a robust environmental compliance program in place for several decades and takes pride in their contribution.
Noozhawk reported that “About two months ago, Vandenberg officials agreed to seven conditions leveled by the California Coastal Commission to allow a launch increase from six to 36 a year.”
Those included “further analyzing sonic booms and taking steps to minimize them plus convening a multiagency working group to enhance biological monitoring programs and assess results and otherwise assess various factors.”
But was the commission’s denial based in an objective manner or politics?
Some commissioners were “irked by Elon Musk’s increasingly political activity and misinformation campaign on social media, have upped their opposition to treating SpaceX as a federal activity. Additionally, the impacts of the upcoming presidential election also hovered above the discussion, and how existing cooperative agreements could change if the presidential administration change.”
Most of the commissioner’s “concerns” seem to be the result of unsubstantiated citizen claims of environmental harm resulting from the noise associated space launches.
Space access and ballistic missile tests have been a fact of life since the late 1950s at the base, and there have been no documented interruptions to either marine, animal or avian life.
The California Coastal Act specifically states, “that the public interest and principles of fundamental fairness and due process of law require that the commission conduct its affairs in an open, objective, and impartial manner free of undue influence and the abuse of power and authority.”
One commissioner asked what would happen if VSFB rejected the commission’s denial.
“If the commission were to object today, Space Force/Air Force could decide to unilaterally determine that this activity is consistent with our management program and proceed,” said Cassidy Teufel, the California Coastal Commission’s deputy director.
“If they were to do that, we have recourse through mediation and litigation,” Teufel said.
What happened next — well on Tuesday Oct. 14 at 1:21 a.m. SpaceX launched another successful mission from south Vandenberg.
And Noozhawk reports that on the same day SpaceX filed a 284-page lawsuit in California’s central district, accusing regulators of “engaging in naked political discrimination.”
It doesn’t sound like six of the commissioners embrace the idea of the “objective, and impartial manner free of undue influence and the abuse of power and authority” and instead rely of subjective political agendas.
They should be replaced with folks who will agree to comply with state law when exercising their duties.
Message to politically motivated regulators: “Don’t tug on Superman’s cape.”
References:
Coastal Commission Rejects Boost in SpaceX Launches, But It May Be Moot | Local News | Noozhawk
California Coastal Act, ARTICLE 2.5. Fairness and Due Process: Codes Display Text (ca.gov)
SpaceX Sues Coastal Commission After Vote to Limit Vandenberg SFB Launches | Local News | Noozhawk.
SpaceX lawsuit: spacex-v-california-coastal-cmmission.pdf (dj.com).
