I find this to be a breakdown of training, because the training was pretty clear years ago when I had clearance with the navy that we were never to use apps like this that could disclose location, not just while on-duty or on base, but at any time that our location could be given away. We were specifically not allowed to have Fitbits or other smart watches (Fitbit was the big one at the time) that could share location and any apps that wanted to know our location (yes, on our personal phones) needed to be cleared by IT because we were people that had been granted clearance and therefore could not give away critical location information.
The big scandal that got a lot of people into trouble was Pokemon Go, because not only did it use location, but I guess it used camera too? I didn’t know, I didn’t play it, but using cameras on base was a HUGE no-no, so using an app that shared location AND picture during your lunch break broke the brains of the COs.
It seems so weird to me that this is something that is so widespread right now. I didn’t work for the navy anymore and haven’t in a while, but I still follow the basic safety protocols about not sharing sensitive information.
The wind developers are private companies that have already spent hundreds of millions of dollars purchasing the leasing rights to the wind energy areas and associated costs.
The parts of the projects under federal control are a) reviewing the proposed leasing areas and projects, b) putting the leasing areas up for auction, c) reviewing the environmental impacts, and d) ensuring the developers remain in environmental compliance throughout construction and operation. That’s all the federal government can control, and other than that the private business can do what it wants. A, b, and c has pretty much already happened on a huge swath of all wind energy areas, and the only thing he be able to stop now is compliance of already leased areas and leasing additional areas.
That means if he stops up from maintaining compliance, the developers will have no reason (other than personal moral compass) to not harm the environment (including harming severely endangered right whales) and not report it. He can’t stop the current projects from happening, at least not without huge legal battles costing the federal government a massive amount of money to pay back the developers. Not to mention the tens of thousands of jobs he’d be costing of he put them out of work when they’ve already been contracted for years at a time.