- The FCC voted on the new Net Neutrality rule that has a poison pill that will preempt local authority over wireless facilities, like HR 3557. The FCC wants to make broadband a Title II telecom service, meaning that the FCC would have preemption not just for phone service but for wireless broadband, as well. Here was the proposed rule.
THE ASK was simple: if they do reclassify broadband as Title II (telecom
svcs), there should be a provision that the FCC will forebear from preemption under 47 USC §224, §253a-d, and §332c7B.
Democrats are supporting the FCC’s net neutrality proposed rule which contains the very preemption of local authority over the approval and placement of wireless facilities which Democrats
opposed in HR 3557 in the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Republicans are generally opposing the proposed rule although for different reasons. It is not clear how much widespread awareness there has been among Democrats about the local zoning preemption in the rulemaking.
2. National Environmental Advisory Council (EPA) - I presented in the public meeting last week on environmental justice issues and am preparing written comments.
3. Sec 106 Review -- NYC Historic
Preservation -- CityBridge / Boldyn will be providing an update to consulting parties on May 8, 4-5pm.
WE NEED MORE CONSULTING PARTIES! THE GENERAL PUBLIC CAN ALSO COMMENT. See attached document entitled "Section 106 Review ... " for instructions.
Deadlines to file comments on many 5G Towers have already passed and others are fast approaching. YOU NEED TO ACT NOW!
a. Your Sec 106 participation is crucial from community boards and civic associations in Washington Heights, Lower East Side, Jamaica, Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx, Staten Island. YOU'RE GETTING
CLOBBERED WITH 5G TOWERS. The NYS Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) has not objected to Towers in many locations. Those are missed opportunities.
4. 311 Complaint Campaign - CALL 311 TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE 5G TOWERS. We need
an official city record of complaints that city officials cannot ignore.
5. Federal bills (60+) - several bills are now moving in Congress. These bills will eliminate our local control over wireless permitting/placement, prohibit moratoria and
eliminate environmental and historical preservation reviews. See below for federal bills update.
- SET UP MEETINGS NOW WITH: Reps. Espaillat, Jeffries, Clarke, Malliotakis, Meeks, Meng, Velazquez, Suozzi, Goldman, Torres. Let me know when you do. Unfortunately, our NY delegation is voting for all of the bad bills. Call them today to schedule a meeting.
- See new voting guide at https://thenationalcall.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/voting-guide-federal-bills-3-31-24-1.pdf and att'd fact sheets and https://ehtrust.org/congress/
- Federal Bills committee of the National Call for Safe Technology meets every Thursday, 4-6pm
ET; let me know if you're interested.
6. National Call for Safe Technology - Sign up to connect with other advocates nationwide. We meet every 2nd and 4th Friday; to sign up, email me or go to thenationalcall.org.
7. Defend our Landlines! Verizon has been retiring its copper lines in NYC for several years. That means if you can't make a 911 call if your cell service goes down. That recently happened in CA that left over 70,000 stranded. Contact your City Council member and your US Representative.
Federal Bills Update: Our NY delegation is supporting bad bills, please contact your Representative
today:
- HR 3294 - Nydia Velazquez sponsor
- HR 5919 and HR 4235 - Lawler sponsor
- HR 1123 - passed House, voted by Nadler, Lawler, Goldman, Jeffries, Malliotakis, Espaillat, Clarke, Meeks, Meng, Velazquez, Torres, Ocasio-Cortez - Now included in HR 4510 NTIA Reauth, ASK: must amend to include 5G in cybersecurity study with required Homeland Security input
- HR 1353 - passed House, voted by ditto
- HR 1339 - passed House, voted by ditto
- HR 6492
- passed House, co-sponsored by Lawler
- Every success we've had in NYC - disapprovals and moratoria on 5G Towers - are expressly prohibited under HR 3557, and our success in envt'l and historic preservation reviews will be virtually eliminated under HR 3557, HR 4141, etc.
- HR 6492 will carpet our national parks with
cell towers, which do catch on fire. CA had 4 major fires from faulty telecom eqpt - Woolsey Fire (2018) caused $6 bil in damages, 295,000 pp evacuated, 100,000 acres of land destroyed and several deaths. See below the fold for "Cell Towers & Fires" at https://thenationalcall.org/advocacy-and-action/.
