Source: Orange County Register
by K Lloyd Billingsley
“In 2022, the California Coastal Commission (CCC) rejected the Poseidon desalination plant that would have provided Orange County with 50 million gallons of fresh water a day. The CCC has now rejected a plan by the Space Force to boost the number of launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County. This was allegedly based on environmental concerns, but the real reason recently came to light. In August, the commission asked the Space Force to monitor more closely how sonic booms affect southern sea otters, California red-legged frogs, the western snowy plover and the California least tern. Commissioner Kristina Kunkel worried that the CCC could be ‘bullied into ignoring environmental protections’ but by October it was apparent that the real problem was SpaceX and its founder Elon Musk.” (10/16/24)