The Federal Aviation Administration has been continuing to conduct broadcast tower reviews during its financial turmoil, even though funding authorization expired in July, according to law firm Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth.
Congressional lawmakers reached a deal Thursday to resume funding temporarily for the FAA. The House passed a measure on Thursday, and the Senate was expected to do so today. The deal breaks an impasse that put thousands of federal employees out of work and stopped activity on 200 construction projects.
Writing on Wednesday prior to the agreement, Dan Kirkpatrick of Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth said the FAA was continuing to process pending requests for Determination of No Hazard.
A DNH is one of the steps needed to get an FCC construction permit.
The law firm called a listing for the FAA’s Obstruction Evaluation Group and found: “If your particular request requires the FAA folks in D.C. to consult with any local airport officials in the hinterlands, and if that consultation didn’t happen prior to the start of the FAA shutdown late last month, your request probably won’t be going anywhere soon. In those circumstances it looks like you’ll have to wait until the FAA shutdown is ended and the necessary airport personnel get back online.”
The deal presumably eases that situation, but Kirkpatrick’s advice of Wednesday probably remains sound: Anyone with such a request in the hopper should check with their aeronautical consultant or engineering consultant, FHH recommends.
