Environmental groups and Camden County homeowners are suing the county, saying officials are illegally withholding documents related to a proposed commercial launch pad on the coast of Georgia.

In a lawsuit filed Tuesday, coastal conservation group One Hundred Miles has accused Camden County and consultants working on the proposed launch pad of refusing to provide documents that specify any hazards of having rocket launches over nearby residential property.

The lawsuit claims the county is violating the Georgia Open Records Act.

In a statement, members of the Camden County Commission said the requested details were compiled for the county by a private company and provided to the U.S. Department of Defense.

“Disclosing that methodology would put U.S. national security at risk and it is therefore exempt from (open records requests) and will not be disclosed,” the commissioners said.

Southern Environmental Law Center attorney April Lipscomb, on behalf of the environmentalists, called the county’s refusal to share the documents “mindboggling.”

“Asking local residents to blindly accept the potentially life-changing conditions of Spaceport Camden without providing them with all of the facts is reckless and unfair,” Lipscomb said.

Spaceport officials are courting private companies to launch up to 12 times a year from the proposed site.

Residents and property owners on nearby Cumberland Island and Little Cumberland Island said they are concerned about having rockets launch so close to their homes.

In its draft environmental impact statement, the Federal Aviation Administration said there was a 2.5 percent to 6 percent chance of a launch failure. The FAA has not yet finalized its environmental impact statement.

The Camden County Commission submitted an application with the FAA last month for a license to operate the commercial spaceport.

Camden will still have to clear several steps, including a separate safety review, before it could be awarded a permit for the project.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Fulton DA Fani Willis (center) with Nathan J. Wade (right), the special prosecutor she hired to manage the Trump case and had a romantic relationship with, at a news conference announcing charges against President-elect Donald Trump and others in Atlanta, Aug. 14, 2023. Georgia’s Supreme Court on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, upheld an appeals court's decision to disqualify Willis from the election interference case against Trump and his allies. (Kenny Holston/New York Times)

Credit: NYT

Featured

In this file photo from October 2024, Atlanta Braves outfielder Jorge Soler and teammates react after losing to the San Diego Padres 5-4 in San Diego. The Braves and Soler, who now plays for the Los Angeles Angels, face a lawsuit by a fan injured at a 2021 World Series game at Truist Park in Atlanta. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com