BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — It’s been a big month for Blue Origin. The company successfully launched a NASA payload atop its New Glenn rocket and landed a first-stage booster for the first time.
But even as the commercial spaceflight company celebrates a breakthrough, a new Change.org petition is raising concerns about a proposed half-million-gallon wastewater treatment system tied to future operations at its Orbital Launch Site Manufacturing Complex on Merritt Island.
Petition organizer Jill Steinhauser says the plan raises serious worries for residents who live, work, and recreate along the Indian River Lagoon.
“The people trying to put this in place don’t live here,” Steinhauser said. “They don’t put their children in that water… they don’t boat here… they don’t let their dogs swim in it. "
According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), its draft permit would allow Blue Origin to discharge up to 15,000 gallons of unprocessed industrial wastewater daily into a pond that flows to the Indian River. That’s in addition to hundreds of thousands of gallons of processed wastewater.
Space analyst Dr. Ken Kremer of Space UpClose says a steady supply of purified water is essential for rocket manufacturing, but stresses that public transparency is critical.
“They need purified water to make sure components for the rocket and facilities work without contamination,” Kremer said.
The public notice states that the discharge permit will be approved unless sufficient public comments warrant additional review.
A Blue Origin spokesperson told Eyewitness News,
“This is a renewal of an existing agreement that has been in place for more than five years. We are committed to maintaining responsible and compliant operations,” the company said in a statement.
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