[TowerTalk] Potential New FCC Tower Construction Threat (was: TowerTalk Digest, Vol 48, Issue 47)

[Michael Keane K1MK]

At 04:08 PM 12/12/06, Donald Chester wrote:

>I'm sure many more birds collide with the complex latticework of the 
>towers that hold up high tension power lines, than with 200' radio 
>towers.  Some of those huge power line towers are a lot higher than 
>my radio tower or most cellular phone towers.
>
>So are they going to require the dismantlement of the power grid too?

Interesting that you should ask that. It would seem the answer to 
your question is yes, as the FWS has already had an electric utility 
successfully prosecuted and convicted for birds being electrocuted by 
the company's power lines 
<http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/1999/August/353enr.htm>. And then 
leveraged that conviction to get 'cooperation' from other utilities 
<http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2002/April/02_enrd_240.htm>.

It's not that a big stretch stretch from birds frying themselves on 
power lines to birds plowing into lighted communications towers.

As silly as the current FCC proceeding may seem, it may the 
preferable alternative to having the FWS start to investigate and 
prosecute tower owners, even if they were only to go after commercial towers.

73,
Mike K1MK

Michael Keane K1MK
k1mk at alum.mit.edu