The Center for Biological Diversity is suing the military for details on a proposal to build a rocket test site in a remote wildlife refuge less than 900 miles from Hawaiʻi Island.
The Air Force announced in March that it planned to prepare an environmental assessment for the construction and operation of two landing pads on Johnston Atoll to test the viability of using rockets to deliver military cargo loads.
Several conservationists spoke out against the proposal, pointing out that Johnston is an important habitat for birds and marine species.
"Landing massive rockets in one of the most isolated and valuable habitats for seabirds would be as destructive and irresponsible as it sounds. That’s exactly why the military and SpaceX are trying to keep this project's details hidden from the public,” said Maxx Philips, Hawai‘i and Pacific Islands director at the Center for Biological Diversity, in a press release.
The military previously awarded a contract to SpaceX to develop technologies for a rocket cargo program. SpaceX was not named in the Air Force's announcement.
The tiny coral reef atoll, barely larger than a square mile, serves as a habitat for nearly one and a half million seabirds of 15 different species, according to Brad Keitt with the American Bird Conservancy. He previously told HPR that Johnston is “one of the few bright spots” where vulnerable seabirds can nest without fear of terrestrial predators.
The Air Force said it anticipated the assessment would be available for public review in early April. So far, it has not been released.
The Center for Biological Diversity filed a Freedom of Information Act request about the project. They say a determination on their request was due by May 19, but they have not received a response.
The center filed a lawsuit on Wednesday to compel the military to rule on their request and release information about the project.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which has jurisdiction over Johnston, is also named in the center's suit.
For nearly a century, Johnston Atoll has served dual roles as a wildlife refuge and a base for U.S. military operations, including as a nuclear test site between 1958 and 1963.
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