I work in the railroad industry. A few years ago a passenger train conductor in California ran a red light and crashed into a freight train because he was texting. This spawned new regulations from the FRA (Federal Rail Administration) to serve as a “Rules Compliance” system. In automobile terms think everytime you pass the flashing yellow sign approaching a traffic signal on the highway the system would automatically brake for you if you didn’t start slowing down. The FRA has been cracking the whip on the RRs to get this “SAFETY” related system in place. In turn they’ve been placing communication poles in preparation for testing and installation.
In steps the FCC… Whoaaa! You can’t just place these communication poles until they’ve undergone the statutorily required environmental and historical preservation reviews. Okay, you can use the ones you’ve already installed (to the tune of 11,000) provided you agree to a $10 million settlement to the “Cultural Resource Fund”. This fund would provide direct funding to Tribal Nations and State Historic Preservation Offices.
Can you believe it???
