Center for Biological Diversity: Tell the Feds -- Oil Rigs and Space Rockets Don't Mix

Houston, we have a problem: The Trump administration has proposed to turn rickety offshore oil rigs into “spaceports,” sites for launching and landing spacecraft. This isn't some clever repurposing scheme, though — quite the opposite. No oil rig or platform was designed to withstand the rigors of rocket operations. Using antiquated infrastructure for launch and recovery activities could threaten workers' safety and degrade water quality. And the rocket noise, explosions, fuel spills, and industrial activity would harm marine life like whales and sea turtles. The law requires oil companies to remove aging offshore platforms and restore habitat when drilling stops. The new proposal could let them attempt to leave decrepit rigs in the ocean "for future spaceport use" (aka indefinitely). Tell the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management: Don't let Big Oil dodge its duties and convert our oceans into industrial testing grounds for billionaires' rockets. ACTION.