Blue Origin’s Plan To Discharge Wastewater Into Indian River Lagoon Sparks Concerns

In the heart of Florida’s ecologically sensitive Indian River Lagoon, a contentious issue has emerged. Blue Origin, the space exploration company, is seeking a state permit to operate an industrial wastewater treatment facility that would discharge into the lagoon. The proposed facility, located at Rocket Park, the company’s sprawling manufacturing complex near NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, would release 490,000 gallons per day of process and non-process industrial wastewater into an onsite stormwater pond, and then into the lagoon.

The Brevard County Commission and advocates of the Save Our Indian River Lagoon Program are urging a public hearing before the permit is granted. Stel Bailey, a Port St. John resident and executive director of the environmental nonprofit Fight for Zero, expressed concerns about the outdated approach to stormwater management.

“They could be building reservoirs. They could be filtering and reusing water,” she said. “They have thousands of acres in the wildlife refuge to create regional retention systems. They are brilliant engineers, so why are they being instructed to dump into the lagoon instead of being challenged to innovate?” The commissioners, after listening to criticism from various speakers, unanimously voted to request a public meeting to discuss the draft permit.