An unlikely target of environmentalists, the Federal Communications Commission drew criticism for allowing small wireless infrastructure projects to be exempt from environmental and historical preservation requirements. The stated goal was to expedite installation of 5G wireless networks, but environmentalists argue that the FCC already had the authority to streamline some reviews and that this goes too far. They noted a particular provision of the order that’s worrying: Wireless towers in floodplains can now bypass environmental reviews as long as they’re one foot above the base flood elevation. Looks like a lax attitude about environmental protection reaches all departments in the Trump administration.
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While Congress has encouraged the rapid deployment of wireless technology, it has mandated that it be done in a way that protects the environment as well as historic and cultural resources.
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