The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Environment Minister Romauld Ferreira says the government must be transparent about how much SpaceX will pay to clean up debris from its Starship rocket explosion, arguing that secrecy only benefits the polluter and erodes public trust.

He cited the international environmental law principle of “polluter pays”, which holds that those responsible for environmental damage must cover the costs of remediation.

SpaceX’s Starship rocket launched from the company’s Starbase facility in Texas on March 6. It was intended to re-enter over the Indian Ocean but lost communication and disintegrated about nine minutes after liftoff. The explosion was visible from several regions, including Florida, Cuba, The Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Although the government has not released specific figures, officials have confirmed that SpaceX has pledged to cover the full cost of debris removal and environmental assessments related to the March 6 incident.

However, government officials, including several ministers, either did not respond to The Tribune’s questions about the cost yesterday or said they did not know.

Mr Ferreira said withholding the clean-up cost undermines public confidence in the process and benefits the polluter, as the lack of transparency prevents people from determining whether fair compensation has been made. He warned that this lack of disclosure ultimately damages trust in the system.

He expressed doubts that the Davis administration would be forthcoming, citing past environmental controversies.

The “polluter pays” principle is widely recognised under international environmental law and is embedded in several global frameworks, including the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development. It is intended to ensure that pollution control and environmental restoration costs do not fall on governments or the public.

SpaceX has previously faced scrutiny for environmental violations. In 2021, the United States Environmental Protection Agency fined the company more than $148,000 for unauthorised discharges into wetlands near its Texas launch facility. Environmental groups in the US have also urged federal agencies to halt further launches at certain SpaceX sites, citing damage to protected habitats and wildlife.

In The Bahamas, environmental advocates have called for a robust public review of any agreements that allow foreign companies to operate within sensitive ecological zones.

Minister of State for the Environment Zane Lightbourne previously urged Bahamians not to panic over the March 6 explosion, saying the government would rely on expert assessments to determine the next steps.

Officials have also said that an environmental impact assessment linked to the government’s broader agreement with SpaceX will be made public once complete.