FCC is violating law by not taking more active role in reviewing ...

FCC is violating law by not taking more active role in reviewing environmental impact of telecom actions, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) said in seeking reconsideration of petition Commission denied Dec. 5 (CD Dec 6 p9). In earlier petition, PEER urged agency to begin rulemaking to determine whether it needed to strengthen its rules, particularly on undersea cable, fiber lines, wireless towers. In reconsideration request, PEER said it was “abuse of discretion” for FCC to turn down its petition. Group said rules should be revised to ensure that compliance with Endangered Species Act and National Historic Preservation Act weren’t “unlawfully delegated” to carriers and fiber cable-laying companies. PEER charged that laxness by FCC had led to damage to coral reefs in Caribbean and tidal ponds in New England. “The FCC is establishing a practice of evasion,” PEER official said. “The Commission is delegating compliance to corporations which have no interest in adhering to the environmental laws” -- RM 9913.