Starlink · FCC · U.S. · Datacenter Dynamics
Coalition of environmental action groups petition FCC to halt orbital data center applications
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◎ Multiple-sources
A coalition of academics and environmental groups has petitioned the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to halt to the processing of orbital data center (ODC) applications.
Key facts
- With representation from environmental law organization Earthjustice, the group is petitioning the US regulator under the 1969 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which mandates federal
- A coalition of academics and environmental groups has petitioned the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to halt to the processing of orbital data center (ODC) applications
- If ever a situation warranted a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS), it is this one,” the petition said
- Earthjustice intends to bring its concerns to court if the FCC continues granting licenses and ignores the petition
Summary
With representation from environmental law organization Earthjustice, the group is petitioning the US regulator under the 1969 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which mandates federal agencies to assess the environmental impacts of their actions. “If ever a situation warranted a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS), it is this one,” the petition said. The coalition of groups includes Environment America, itself a coalition of environmental advocacy groups, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, and DarkSky International, the latter of which has been outspoken about Starlink’s aspirations since the beginning of 2023, when it filed a lawsuit against Starlink’s Gen2 satellite rollout, which sought regulatory permission for only 7,500 new satellites. The scale of DarkSky International’s objections regularly makes it into the business reporting of Starlink’s more ambitious declarations.