The American billionaire Elon Musk succeeded on Saturday, May 3, his commitment to create a small city in Texas in the industrial complex of his Spacex space company, about 300 of his employees who voted yes almost unanimously.
Most of the 283 people called the polls, employees or people linked to the Bay Bay Chica site, on the Mexican border, they had until 3 am Paris, this Sunday to approve the transformation of Starbase, a 4 km² coastal land in complete municipalities.
Almost 100% of the voters, most voted in advance, as is generally the case of all elections in the United States, said yes and a superior executive in Spacex will even be the mayor of this renowned commune “Starbase”.
“Starbase, Texas (…) is now a true municipality!” The richest man in the world and the ally of President Donald Trump exclaimed in his social network X.
A site released in 2019
The creation of this city is a success for Elon Musk, which has invested in the Dux Commission that the White House charges namely in public spending, but has not fulfilled, and with much, its objectives of clear cuts.
He also faces great difficulties with his automotive business in Tesla and said he would gradually return to his business.
Spacex installed its industrial complex in this coastal wetland, bordered by the Río Grande River and natural areas, to perform rocket tests and launches. The site has been operational since 2019.
Concern for an environmental association
Elon Musk’s project to make a city “will only cause more environmental destruction in the region,” denounced the France-Presse (AFP) Bekah Hinojosa agency, co-founder of a local environment for the environment.
“There will be more illegal discharges, their dangerous rocket operations will increase and cause a more seismic activity that will shake our homes and destroy more natural habitats,” he anticipates.
It was Elon Musk himself, who has the greatest fortune on the planet according to the ranking of Forbes magazine, which had proposed the name Starbase after a visit to the site four years ago.
The application submitted last December
The official request to turn it into a real municipality was presented to local authorities in Texas, a state led by Republicans, in December, after the victory of Donald Trump. Spacex argued that it already guarantees infrastructure management, including roads and health or education services.
The company also promised that the creation of the city would not question its efforts to reduce its environmental impact. Requested by AFP, Spacex did not follow up.
In 2024, the Federal American Environmental Protection Agency had a fine of Spacex for illegal spills in the Texas rivers. The company was also accused of having damaged wild bird nests with its rockets.
“To compensate for this atrocious crime, I will refrain from eating omelette for a week,” Elon Musk said in response on social networks.
Source: BFM TV
