The Wire · Drone & FPV News
By Justin Davis, Drone Camps RC · October 5, 2026
Fifteen states and Harris County, Texas are suing the FAA over a nationwide environmental clearance the agency issued in July. That clearance lets the FAA approve new drone delivery markets without an environmental review for each one — and the states say the agency cut corners to get there.
The core of the complaint is lithium battery fire risk. The states argue the FAA barely addressed it, pointing to an Amazon delivery drone battery that burned near a home in Arizona last October. Their position: streamlining delivery approvals is fine, but not by skipping the safety analysis Congress requires.
New York’s Attorney General filed the case on September 28. No stay has been requested, so drone deliveries keep flying while the lawsuit plays out.
This one matters beyond delivery companies. How the courts handle environmental review for low-altitude drone operations will shape the rules for everyone sharing that airspace — including FPV pilots.
