We, the undersigned, oppose the plan to construct and operate a commercial vertical rocket launch site near Thoney Point, in the Granot Loma Historic District, in Marquette County, Michigan.
BECAUSE construction and operation of this heavy industrial rocket launch site will:
- Destroy coastal forest, wetlands, and wildlife habitat
- Contaminate Lake Superior with rocket debris, especially and catastrophically in the quite probable event of a rocket explosion or failure
- Require regular evacuation of nearby residential areas and thoroughfares, and adversely impact and limit use of popular nearby recreational areas
- Directly and indirectly harm the historic integrity of Granot Loma under the National Historic
Preservation Act, in violation of Federal and State law
- Negatively affect the economic growth of our community which is sustained by people who come here to live, visit, and recreate because of our pristine freshwater coastal environment
- Severely diminish the overall quality of life in our community
BECAUSE the Michigan Aerospace Manufacturers Association (MAMA), in promoting this launch plan:
- Showed little respect for our community by its complete lack of transparency
- Concealed independent economic research showing this plan is not economically viable, contrary to MAMA’s claims, and will not create substantial jobs or economic benefit for Maquette County.
WE PETITION AND CALL UPON:
- The Marquette County Board of Commissioners to publicly withdraw support for this proposed launch plan
- The Powell Township Board and Planning Commission to reject any request to rezone any portion of Granot Loma, also known as Loma Farms, for aerospace use as a vertical rocket launch site
- The City of Marquette to publicly withdraw support for a Marquette County rocket launch site
- Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters, Congressman Jack Bergman, and Michigan state legislators Ed McBroom, Gregory Markkanen, and Sara Cambensy to publicly oppose this plan
- The Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation to deny any request for a Launch Site Operator’s License at Granot Loma
