UPDATE FCC Chairman Brendan Carr says the agency will vote on a plan in August to accelerate broadband permitting and infrastructure builds by modernizing its regulatory regime under the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA). The Commission wants to ensure its NEPA reviews align with federal environmental statutes and precedent that prioritize efficiency and certainty.
Carr mentioned the NEPA change in his Build America Agenda speech at VIKOR in South Dakota earlier this month, Inside Towers reported. “The FCC’s Build America Agenda aims to unleash new infrastructure projects in communities all across the country. To do that, the FCC cannot let red tape and permitting obstacles stand in the way,” Carr said.
“As President Trump, the Supreme Court, and Congress have recognized, NEPA is one of the biggest obstacles to building in America,” Carr explained. “It should not take years to complete pre-construction environmental paperwork before a shovel hits the ground. The time is ripe for the FCC to review and rewrite our NEPA rules from first principles.”
Carr today shared a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking with his colleagues for consideration at the Commission’s August 7 meeting. If adopted, the Notice would examine the Commission’s environmental regulations to ensure they comport with the amended NEPA statute, accelerate the federal permitting process, further a national priority of faster and more infrastructure deployment, and ensure that the Commission’s regulations are clear.
The Notice will also take a fresh look at its National Historic Preservation Act regulations and seek comment on other aspects of its environmental regulations.
By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief
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