SpaceX attends Louisiana ‘summit’ as speculation over its plans swirls
Two SpaceX representatives attended a recent “summit” in Baton Rouge with senior officials from the Army Corps of Engineers and Gov. Jeff Landry’s administration, another potential signal of interest in a Louisiana expansion by Elon Musk’s rocket company. The meeting on June 26 was primarily aimed at discussing ways to speed permitting and other regulatory steps for projects, which often require Corps involvement and approval. The meeting included a broad range of attendees from government agencies, ports, contractors, industry associations and relevant nonprofits. Two SpaceX representatives involved in governmental and regulatory matters participated, including one, Owen McDonough, who specialized in water and wetlands issues for the Environmental Protection Agency during President Donald Trump's first term. Michael Hare, executive director of the state's Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, said he invited McDonough because he knew him from previous work and believed he could provide valuable insight into regulations surrounding water and wetlands issues. The other SpaceX representative, Brandon Conroy, was involved in required environmental mitigation efforts related to the company's "Starbase" industrial and launch facility near Brownsville, Texas. Hare said there was no discussion of potential SpaceX projects in Louisiana at the event and that McDonough and Conroy came for the same reason as did other attendees: to provide insight and suggestions on how to overcome bottlenecks in the federal regulatory process. Hare has previously worked in Washington and has specialized on mitigation issues. "I just consider him a national expert on wetland policy," Hare said of McDonough, who was involved in developing a wetlands policy in the first Trump administration known as the Waters of the U.S., or WOTUS. "He just happens to work at SpaceX, and so that was the easy button I hit on inviting him there." Hare said the summit would help Louisiana projects, but that the issues discussed are relevant on a national level and that he organized the meeting with that in mind. "This is really meant to help inform national policy," he said. Clearing the way for aerospace SpaceX's attendance, however, comes as the state appears to be clearing a path for aerospace development in Louisiana. State legislators this past session approved incentives designed to attract such companies and another measure granting them broad immunity from lawsuits. Lawmakers also granted them exemptions from public records laws related to critical infrastructure. The state’s recent deal with Exxon to settle long-standing coastal damages lawsuits also heightened speculation over whether SpaceX is interested in large tracts of coastal land in Vermilion Parish. Exxon owns the land, which it had initially intended to use for carbon capture, and removing legal liability connected with it could ease a sale. McDonough and Conroy did not respond to requests for comment, nor did SpaceX’s media affairs office. The governor's office also did not respond to requests for comment. Louisiana Economic Development, the state’s business promotion arm, declined comment on any potential discussions with SpaceX. “LED doesn’t comment on prospective projects,” said agency spokesperson Emma Wagner. Reducing red tape Any potential SpaceX development, particularly along the coast, would likely require permits from the Corps. Rene Poche, a spokesperson for the Corps' New Orleans district, said the agency has not received any permit applications from SpaceX and has not held discussions with the company on the topic. The June event, dubbed the “Summit at Sea Level,” was billed as a first-of-its-kind between the Corps and local leaders. Corps leadership at both the national and local levels attended, including Army Assistant Secretary for Civil Works Adam Telle. The meeting concluded with a Q-and-A session between Telle and Landry. The Corps and CPRA issued a joint statement on Thursday detailing areas targeted for improvements and describing a plan to address them. “Attendees from across the public and private sectors together identified 19 priority actions designed to tear down administrative red tape, align complex permitting requirements and significantly shorten project delivery timelines,” it said.
Source: NOLA.com