Environmentalists sue Texas officials, claiming the repeated closing of public beaches so that Elon Musk’s SpaceX could test its rockets is unconstitutional

Environmentalists sue Texas officials, claiming the repeated closing of public beaches so that Elon Musk’s SpaceX could test its rockets is unconstitutional

Environmentalists have sued Texas officials over claims they continually closed public beaches to allow SpaceX to test out its rockets. An environmental nonprofit group, called Save Rio Grande Valley (Save RGV), filed the in Cameron County state court on Monday, first reported. The court document claims that the repeated closure of public beaches along the Gulf Coast violates the Texas Constitution and "Texans essential right to access Texas public beaches." The lawsuit said that Cameron County, Texas General Land Office, and its commissioner George P. Bush have allowed the Boca Chica beach, an 8-mile stretch of land near Brownsville, to be closed for up to 450 hours per year so SpaceX can test its spacecrafts. Save RGV said in its lawsuit that the land is part of a wildlife refuge in Cameron County and aims to prevent future closures of the land, as well as State Highway 4 — the only road that leads to the beach. SpaceX didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Save RGV's lawsuit said a 2013 amendment to the Texas Open Beaches Act allowed the closure of public beaches located along the Gulf Coast "for space flight activities." Since 2019, county officials have repeatedly