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Residents press Long Beach council to oppose or reconsider SpaceX port use, citing environmental, labor and safety concerns
Summary
Dozens of residents and advocacy groups used the council public‑comment period to urge the city to put SpaceX’s presence at the Port of Long Beach on the agenda or to oppose expansion, citing pollution risks, anti‑union litigation and threats to workers and nearby communities.
Dozens of residents addressed the Long Beach City Council on April 22 to urge action on SpaceX operations at the Port of Long Beach, telling the council the company’s lease and activities pose environmental, labor and community‑health risks.
Janine Stallings, who identified herself as a transgender Long Beach resident, criticized the city’s relationship with SpaceX and said the company’s port lease — which she described in testimony as roughly $285,000 a month — undermined the city’s values of safety and inclusion. Stallings urged the council to calculate the cost of terminating the port lease as a sign of meaningful support for marginalized communities.
Speakers from the Feminist Uprising and other community groups described SpaceX as a “threat” that brings risk of toxic exposure, noise and ecological damage. Several speakers linked the issue to labor concerns: Serenity Vejar, a biology student, told the council SpaceX had recently opposed labor protections and had been involved in legal actions that the speaker described as anti‑union. Other speakers urged the council to add SpaceX as an agenda item to allow formal community discussion and possible policy action.
Advocates cited recent incidents and broader environmental arguments: one speaker noted that a Falcon launch emits an estimated 1,115 tons of kerosene and oxygen per launch (a statistic attributed during testimony to a named outside engineer) and contrasted the company’s activities with city priorities such as clean air and public health. Speakers also said the company’s public statements and actions on LGBTQ issues made the company’s presence inconsistent with Long Beach’s sanctuary and inclusion policies.
Councilmembers did not take formal action on SpaceX during the meeting. Mayor Rex Richardson and others acknowledged public concern and said residents’ petitions and communications would be received; multiple speakers said they are organizing petitions and broader efforts to pressure the city to reconsider its port dealings.
The public comments show a cross‑section of concerns — environmental, labor/union, public health and moral — that community groups want the council to consider in future hearings about port leases and partnerships.
