US president is pushing an ‘end run around’ on safeguards, risking harm to wildlife, air and water, attorney says
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draft executive order from Donald Trump that aims to largely exempt space launches from environmental review is viewed as a gift to commercial space industry players such as Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and others who have long targeted the regulations.
But its central components may be illegal and the US president “is trying to do an end run around” on the law, said Jared Margolis, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, which has litigated environmental issues around launches.
If successfully implemented, the launches could create an environmental disaster, advocates say. Rocket launches create a massive amount of pollution that can contaminate local waterways and air with high levels of mercury, Pfas, particulate matter, and other highly toxic substances. The vibration, sound waves, heat and explosions damage habitat and kill wildlife, some of which are protected by the Endangered Species Act.
