(GA Recorder) — A South Georgia judge issued an injunction Thursday blocking Camden County from purchasing land for a coastal spaceport until after a special election where voters will determine the fate of the deal.
Camden County Superior Court Judge Stephen Scarlett’s injunction delivered a new victory for the residents and environmentalists who’ve remained critical of the county’s ambitious plans to launch rockets off Georgia’s coast toward sensitive barrier islands.
This week, a probate court judge ordered a March 8 election after a petition circulated by opponents received enough signatures for a referendum asking if the county should repeal its land-acquisition agreement with Union Carbide Corp. for the former industrial site where an environmental covenant restricts use of the land.
At stake is the trajectory of a controversial project in which county officials have invested $10 million and undergone a lengthy planning and review process.
In January, Scarlett denied Spaceport opponents’ request to temporarily stop the county from completing the agreement as the clock was running out for the deadline set between Camden officials and Union Carbide.
But in his order on Thursday, Scarlett wrote that it no longer mattered since the two parties extended their deadline beyond when the election would be held.
If Camden residents vote to repeal the deal, then that decision becomes immediately binding. Early voting will run from Feb. 28- March 4 for the March 8 election.
“The contract with Union Carbide would be dissolved but that doesn’t mean the county couldn’t enter into another contract,” said One Hundred Miles president and CEO Megan Desrosiers. “But there’s a risk to that. “You’d have to wonder after the residents release the resolution if they would go back and pursue a new agreement despite what the citizens have expressed.”
The Federal Aviation Administration issued an operator’s license for the spaceport in December, which appeared to all but clear the way for Camden to build a processing center and launch pad on the Union Carbide land that could host up to 12 commercial rocket launches a year.
The vision is scaled down to smaller vehicle launches replacing initial plans to launch rockets as big as the 230-foot-tall SpaceX Falcon 9
“Do they want to surrender the recently awarded FAA license for Spaceport Camden and the economic opportunity that accrues from this $450 billion industry?” Blount said in a statement. “Or, do county residents want a diversified economy, increased STEM opportunities for students and new high-paying jobs?”
With only 10% of eligible voters signing the petition, Blount pointed out that the majority of voters must learn how to showcase what the spaceport can offer to them.
“The Department of Defense understands Spaceport Camden is critical for America’s national security and is already interested in the opportunities this project offers,” Blount said. “I am confident our citizens will see the benefits too.”
During the next few weeks, Desrosiers said, people from both sides will have the opportunity to debate the merits of the project and rally people to the polls.
“They’ve been saying that everyone supports the project, that it’s great,” she said “If that’s the case why haven’t they ever held a public hearing, why haven’t they ever voted on it in public?
“If it’s true that everyone loves the Spaceport then they shouldn’t be afraid to have a referendum,” Desrosiers said.
