U.S. Chamber Supports CTIA Calls for Permitting Reform
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday urged the FCC to take last week’s Supreme Court decision limiting the scope of environmental reviews into account as it considers changes to rules on National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) requirements (see 2505290075). The FCC is seeking comment on a CTIA petition seeking regulatory relief on NEPA and National Historic Preservation Act rules, which has proven controversial (see 2505160035).
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“Our broken permitting system has long been a national embarrassment, delaying and sometimes blocking investment and economic development in everything from broadband to roads, bridges, energy systems, and other critical infrastructure,” the chamber said (docket RM-12003). As SCOTUS recognized, “NEPA is a ‘purely procedural’ law, and was never intended to be weaponized as ‘a blunt and haphazard tool’ against infrastructure and construction projects."
“Better permitting processes will benefit businesses and the public by ensuring timely upgrades to essential infrastructure,” the chamber said, adding that it supports the CTIA petition’s “objective of enhancing deployment of wireless broadband networks.”