The Brevard County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to ask the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to hold a public meeting on a draft permit for Blue Origin LLC that would allow the company to discharge up to 490,000 gallons per day of process and non-process industrial wastewater to the Indian River Lagoon.

The item drew an hours-long public comment period. Julio Torres said the wastewater "should really be called industrial chemicals" and asked the board to urge DEP not to renew the permit. "Once it's in their retention pond, it will eventually affect the local drinking water," he told the board.

County staff framed the formal limits of local authority: the county can request a DEP public meeting and submit comments during the 30-day notice period, but the permit decision rests with DEP. A staff statement provided procedural guidance and encouraged written comments to DEP during the notice window.

Speakers from environmental and neighborhood groups said they had found alleged historical discharges, cited DEP consent orders and exceedances at regional treatment plants, and warned of PFAS and other contamination risks. Michael Majic of the Indian River Lagoon Roundtable asked the county to "stand up" for the lagoon and urged establishment of regional oversight for expanding spaceport activity.

Commissioners amended a draft county request to include copies to the legislative delegation and the governor's office, offered to suggest a local meeting venue (Simpkins Center in Cocoa) to reduce barriers to hosting a public meeting, and directed staff to compile the public comments taken at the commission meeting for inclusion with the request. Commissioners also asked that the county post the published DEP notice on the county's Facebook page to make it more accessible.

The motion to request the DEP meeting and send the requested materials passed unanimously. Commissioners stressed that seeking a hearing is an administrative step that does not bind the county to any particular legal outcome; they encouraged residents to submit written comments directly to DEP as well.

No final DEP action was announced at the meeting. County staff said they would prepare and submit the county's request and supporting materials before the 30-day deadline and continue to brief the board on DEP's response.