He should have negotiated an Air Force contract to launch something for free. Air Force launches are exempt from most of the environmental piddle.
He should have negotiated an Air Force contract
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USAF does not have a suitable site in south Texas and does not control Boca Chica. Vanderburg AFB is further from the Equator than Boca Chica - a disadvantage. Moreover, he would be at the mercy of USAF bureaucrats and no longer independent.