Blue Origin’s plan to dump treated industrial wastewater from its Merritt Island, Florida, manufacturing campus continues to come under scrutiny as state regulators prepare for a Jan. 30 public meeting in Cocoa, Florida. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection will comment on the aerospace company’s draft permit renewal, which would allow up to 0.49 million gallons of treated water per day of treated water. which drains into the lagoon of the Indian River.
Residents of Merritt Island, a community of about 34,500 residents, and the nearby city of Cape Canaveral, home to about 10,000 people, have been central to the growing public response. The Brevard County Commission and the City of Cape Canaveral formally requested a public meeting, and an online petition opposing the permit has garnered more than 46,000 signatures.
The draft permit would authorize Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, to dump up to 490,000 gallons per day of process and non-process industrial wastewater into a 403,000-square-foot stormwater pond. Local officials and environmental groups warn that runoff from the pond could reach the Indian River Lagoon and further strain an estuary already experiencing seagrass loss, algal blooms and declining wildlife.
DEP Communications Director Alexandra Kuchta told Florida Today that “public input is an important part of our permitting process,” adding that agency staff, technical experts and Blue Origin representatives will be available at the meeting to answer questions. He said the DEP has extended its public comment period to Feb. 6 to allow time for comments after the session.
This call for public input comes amid long-standing concerns about Blue Origin’s wastewater practices. Florida Today also reported that the agency has fined Blue Origin several times in recent years for permit-related violations at its Merritt Island operations. While DEP has not released details of those enforcement actions, the filing has added weight to calls from residents and local officials for closer oversight of the company’s wastewater practices.
In a statement, Blue Origin said it “prioritises protecting and restoring the Earth” and strives to be a good steward of the lagoon. The company said the permit is a renewal of an agreement that has been in place for more than five years and reflects its commitment to compliance and conservation.
DEP spokeswoman Sarah Fayed provided additional details to Florida Today, noting that the facility’s current flow averages about 40,000 gallons per day, less than 10 percent of the maximum the permit would allow, and that the wastewater does not come into contact with fuels or hazardous materials.
“None of this water is used to wash rockets, and it never comes into contact with rocket fuel or other hazardous substances,” he said.
The Merritt Island proposal follows DEP’s recent approval of a separate five-year industrial wastewater permit for Blue Origin’s launch pad deluge system at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. This permit regulates water used during launches and static fire tests and requires quarterly sampling for nutrients, metals, hydrocarbons and solids, as well as groundwater monitoring.
The DEP’s Jan. 30 meeting will be the first public forum since the draft permit was issued in October. The session is scheduled from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the Brevard County UF/IFAS Extension Building, 3695 Lake Drive.
