By FAY SIMMONS

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

Shanendon Cartwright, the MP for St Barnabas raised concerns about the SpaceX rocket booster landing in the Bahamas in Parliament yesterday, noting a lack of public information surrounding the environmental assessment for the initiative.

Mr Cartwright said there is a “legitimate concern” about the potential environmental risks of this undertaking and the Davis administration should take them seriously, especially as they promote climate justice internationally.

“Bahamians heard about this event that will be happening in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, and all of the agitations and promotions, of what this would bring to the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and ‘space tourism’. There is a legitimate concern about the impact of these exercises on the environment of The Bahamas,” said Mr Cartwright.

“There’s a legitimate concern, about its impact, because there are enough reports out there that indicate that there’s tremendous impact to the environment. The question becomes for a country that has said climate justice and the issue of climate change presents an existential threat to the people of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. But yet we have engaged in an exercise, by all accounts and all reports and scientists, that impacts the environment.”

Wayne Munroe, Minister of National Security, countered that airplanes also have carbon emissions and the SpaceX rocket boosters are recovered and reused, a practice which is “climate resilient”.

He added that the partnership with SpaceX will also include a donation to the University of The Bahamas which will strengthen science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in the country.

“The member for St Barnabas would have us stop airlift to The Bahamas because airlines emit carbon, which affects the environment and supply and while we would push for more stop over arrivals by aircraft, to use his logic, we should not be doing that. There’s nothing to suggest that SpaceX will launch any fewer rockets, if he paid attention to the SpaceX model. Instead of having throwaway rocket boosters, they reused them, and so that, in and of itself, is a climate resilient event,” said Mr Munroe.

“In so far as climate resilience, the seriousness of that goes without speaking and the SpaceX recovery was a matter that the environmental impact was done. The platform is one that’s reusable, and so itself isn’t a throwaway item where you then have to use carbon emissions to create a new booster. And so, if one would have heard the talented young Bahamians who are involved in this program and the monies that are going to the University of Bahamas to encourage STEM education in this country, the two positions taken by St Barnabas really are incongruous.”

Mr Cartwright argued that there has been no “clarity” given to the public on the findings of the environmental assessment and a contingency plan in case of an accident was not disclosed.

“There’s been no real information and proper transparency as it relates to this relationship and the partnership and with potential fallout and what happens if, God forbid, there’s a catastrophe, there’s been nothing in that regard,” said Mr Cartwright.

“It seems that the government just want the Bahamian people to be happy that there’s some rockets going over the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, and that The Bahamas will be on the news from time to time that these rockets are landing in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. But there’s been no real transparency on this issue, not on the environmental part.”

He alleged that SpaceX has been investigated for polluting waters in Texas and has generated scrutiny from local environmentalists.

“SpaceX repeatedly polluted waters in Texas this year regulators found, a new report highlights SpaceX’s skyrocketing pollution problem, debris blast from SpaceX rocket launches faces environmental scrutiny…and of course, Bahamian scientists disappointed in lack of consultation prior to Space X booster landing, so, there is legitimate concern,” said Mr Cartwright.

State Minister for Environment Zane Lightbourne said the Department of Environmental Planning Protection (DEPP) will make the findings of their environmental impact assessment public.

“The Department of Environmental Planning Protection, has released information that they will make public the environment impact for the public’s viewing today,” said Mr Lightbourne.