There is a reason why the property the County proposes to purchase has very few commercial uses. Prior toxic uses have made the 4,011 acres legally uninhabitable, even for overnight stays. We are told that the Purchase Contract allows the deal to be cancelled if Union Carbide cannot separate the toxic landfill acreage from the spaceport tract. The Georgia Environmental Protection Department will have to determine if it can allow the separation of the Hazardous Waste Landfill since the entire 4,011 acres are restricted for safety reasons. But irrespective of who owns the landfill, it will remain exactly where it is. Testing will be performed to try to determine if seismic vibrations and sonic noise from tests and launches will make the landfill more unstable. But only time would tell if the tests are relevant to the actual conditions once rocket launches begin. Union Carbide would not be responsible for toxic leaks caused by the spaceport, and in any event a leakage from any cause is certain to result in expensive litigation, not to mention a possible, entirely foreseeable, toxic nightmare.

For property that has few other uses and a lot of environmental restrictions and hazards, Camden County appears to be paying a lot and taking a lot of risk. But a lot of the contract has been concealed from public view . . .

Here's the Environmental Covenant that details the responsibilities, limits and activites permitted on the proposed Spaceport property. The Covenant is legally recorded in the Camden County Clerk's Office. But the Hazardous Waste Landfill must be separated from the Spaceport property for this deal to be completed. Does it matter who owns the Hazardous Waste Landfill since it is not being removed from the site?