Past Actions​​

 

Save RGV Comment to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) (10/15/2024)

 

July 2024 - SaveRGV sent a letter to SpaceX in July 2024 providing notice of intent to sue under the Clean Water Act for numerous ongoing violations of federal law at the company’s rocket launch site at Boca Chica, Texas. The suit was filed Oct. 9th, 2024. After Save RGV sent the Notice of Intent letter, SpaceX finally submitted to TCEQ an application for a permit to discharge industrial wastewater from its deluge system. The application remains pending at TCEQ, and we are focusing our efforts on the permitting process and on making sure that if a permit is issued, it's as protective as possible.

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Bloomberg Article: SpaceX Sued Over Discharges at Texas Launch Site  

Notice of Intent to Sue SpaceX

Notice of Intent Press Release​​

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June 17, 2024 - Save RGV moves to intervene in Texas LNG's request for an extension of time to build. 84 public comments were generated from our comment form and sent to FERC.

Save RGV Letter to FERC for Motion of Intervention 

Sierra Club Letter to FERC for Motion of Intervention

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June 4, 2024 - SaveRGV sent a letter to SpaceX providing notice of intent to sue under the Clean Water Act for numerous ongoing violations of federal law at the company’s rocket launch site at Boca Chica, Texas.

Letter of Intent to Sue

Press Release

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February 1, 2024 - the Thirteenth Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Save RGV, Corrizo Comecrudo Tribe of Texas, and the Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter overturning the July 2022 ruling by 445th District Court Judge Gloria Rincones in Cameron County that stated the organizations lacked standing or jurisdiction to sue. It is expected the ruling will be appealed to the Texas supreme court. The opposing parties are Cameron County, the Texas General Land Office, and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. See the Court's ruling here

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July 12, 2023- Save RGV Response to Rio Grande LNG FID Announcement. Read our statement HERE.

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June 29, 2023 SAVE RGV Sends an Open Letter to all RGV officials who sent letters of support to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for the Rio Grande LNG project at the Port of Brownsville. Some of these officials received campaign contributions and donations from the Next Decade Political Action Committee.  Read the Open Letter HERE.

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June 02, 2023- Save RGV filed their Appellant's Reply Brief in our Open Beaches lawsuit in the Court of Appeals for the Thirteenth Judicial District Corpus Christi & Edinburg, Texas. To read the brief click HERE.  

If you would like to learn more about this case email contact@savergv.org to request an invitation to our next Zoom meeting. 

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May 24, 2023- Read the Sierra Club Press Release "Organizations  Challenge FERC for Approving Several LNG Projects in the Rio Grande Valley and Southwest Louisiana"

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Our Open Beaches Lawsuit Appeal is now in the 13th District Court - Appellants’ attorney is assessing whether reply briefs are necessary. If they are necessary, June 1, 2023 is the deadline for Appellants – SaveRGV, Sierra Club, and Carrizo Comecrudo – to reply to Appellees’ briefs. Appellees are Cameron County, General Land Office, and Texas Attorney General, who have all filed their responsive brief to Appellants’ initial briefs. View Brief Here.​

 

May 22, 2023 Vecinos para el Bienestar de la Comunidad Costera, Sierra Club, City of Port Isabel, and the Carrizo/Comecrudo Tribe of Texas  request rehearing of Rio Grande LNG, LLC, Order on Remand and Amending Section 7 Certificate, 183 FERC ¶ 61,046, Dkt. Nos. CP16-454 etc. (Apr. 21, 2023) The FERC document can be viewed at https://elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/docinfo?accession_num=20230522-5217 

 

May 1, 2023–  Save RGV et. al. filed suit against the FAA for violations of the National Environmental Policy Act by approving the launch permit for SpaceX Starship/Super Heavy at Boca Chica without doing a full Environmental Impact Statement. Read the file stamped petition HERE and the Press Release HERE. Media coverage can be accessed in links below.

 

The April 21, 2023 177-page FERC Order to Rio Grande LNG is available at:

https://elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/filelist?accession_num=20230421-3056.

Save RGV has been opposed to LNG in the RGV for almost 10 years now. 

This article ran back in 2015 and is as current now as it was then.  Polluters and liars don’t change!

https://riograndeguardian.com/herweck-lng-companies-answer-rgv-residents-safety-concerns-with-parlor-tricks

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In the News

SpaceX wants to dump treated sewage water into Texas’ South Bay coastal preserve

by: Sandra Sanchez

Posted: Nov 2, 2023 / 09:21 PM CDT

Updated: Nov 2, 2023 / 10:45 PM CDT

https://www.borderreport.com/news/environment/spacex-wants-to-dump-treated-sewage-water-into-texas-south-bay-coastal-preserve/

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From license to lawsuit–the first 18 days since SpaceX got its hands on the FAA launch approval

Published Tuesday, May 2, 2023

from the Rio Grande Valley

https://pablodelarosa.com/faa-license-starship-spacex-lawsuit/?fbclid=IwAR2CRBy6JGF_6s3Xr7uIhxBH7H1C6nZDp8Y2OY3wgmlm_gJY8E-JWY-XfZ4
 

Federal agency failed to weigh possible environmental impacts of SpaceX rocket launch, lawsuit claims

Environmental groups claim the Federal Aviation Administration let SpaceX do its own environmental assessment before its rocket self-destructed above the Texas coast and debris rained down over a wide area.

BY ALEJANDRA MARTINEZ MAY 2, 20231 PM CENTRAL

https://www.texastribune.org/2023/05/02/texas-spacex-lawsuit-faa-environmental-pollution/?utm_campaign=trib-social&utm_content=1683053587&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&fbclid=IwAR0VghnaiJUR_ykwsxMtiS1qA6SZ8b5fq2eUTkAZ3U9xIzPOwBkErmMOhFk

 

Environmental groups sue FAA over Starship launch

by: Natasha Trindade

Posted: May 1, 2023 / 07:10 PM CDT

Updated: May 2, 2023 / 10:21 AM CDT

https://www.valleycentral.com/news/local-news/environmental-organizations-sue-faa-over-starship-launch/

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Rio Grande Valley groups fight to keep SpaceX non-disclosure agreements private

Texas Public Radio | By Erin Sheridan

Published April 24, 2023 at 2:21 PM CDT
https://www.tpr.org/technology-entrepreneurship/2023-04-24/spacex-nda-foia-rgv-brownsville-cameron-county-bpub-utrgv

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SpaceX, FAA challenged over RGV environmental damage. Jim Chapman, Save RGV board member Guest Speaker

https://www.tpr.org/podcast/the-source/2023-05-03/spacex-challenged-over-rgv-environmental-damage