SpaceX will build a second, $100B ‘Starbase’ spaceport in Louisiana

“We are very excited to be in this position to receive one of the best opportunities of a lifetime which will bring not only a variety of jobs to our Parish but will offer opportunities to our grandchildren allowing them to stay home for employment,” Vermilion Parish Police Jury President Chad Vallo said in a statement.

SpaceX, which has for years faced criticism for — and fought legal battles over — how it treats the local ecosystem around its Texas site, has “already engaged the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority and other appropriate state agencies to proactively address potential impacts to wildlife, fisheries and their supporting habitats,” according to LED.

The company also says it is “partnering with state and federal agencies to expand Louisiana’s Coastal Master Plan and Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act projects, including Gulf shoreline protection breakwaters designed to reduce wave energy” and reduce shoreline erosion in the area.