Notifying the Commission of a MET

Notification to the Commission of a Meteorological Evaluation Tower (MET)

To notify the Office of Aeronautics of an existing, new construction, or the removal of a MET, fill out the MET Notification form and return to MDOT_Tall_Structures@Michigan.gov.

This form does not substitute filing a 7460-1 with the Federal Aviation Administration or filing for a Michigan Tall Structure Permit with the Office of Aeronautics. Please refer to Applying for a Michigan Tall Structure Permit to determine if a Michigan Tall Structure Permit is required.

On March 1, 2016, Governor Snyder signed into law Public Act 28 of 2016 that regulates meteorological evaluation towers (MET). The new law comes after a recommendation from the National Transportation Safety Board requesting states to enact MET regulations and register their locations in a directory.

Per the amended Michigan Tall Structure Act, a MET that is 50 feet in height or higher must comply with all of the following:

• The tower must be painted in equal, alternating bands of orange and white, beginning with orange at the top of the tower and ending with orange at the bottom of the tower.
• The tower must have one or more seven foot safety sleeves placed at each anchor point that extend from the anchor point along each guy wire attached to the anchor point.
• The tower must have at least one orange marker ball attached to each guy wire at the highest point that does not affect the stability of the tower and the measurement of wind speed.

Within one year after the effective date, an owner of an existing MET erected shall mark the tower as stated above.

Within 60 days after the effective date, an owner of any existing MET shall provide the commission with all of the following:

• The global positioning system coordinates of the center of the MET.
• The elevation of the site, in feet.
• The structure’s height above ground level, in feet.
• The owners or lessee’s name, address, telephone number, and electronic mail address, if any.
• The name of any owner’s representative.

Ten days or more before the erection of a new MET, an owner of the tower shall provide to the commission the information stated above and certification that the tower has been marked in accordance with the Act.

Within 10 days after the removal of a MET, an owner of the tower shall notify the commission of the removal.

Please view the Michigan Tall Structure Act amendment Act 28 P.A. 2016 for details and changes that may apply to you.