Learn About EMFs

by Brendan Wedley 2/9/08

Residents near Valleyview Drive are organizing to fight a telecommunications giant’s plan to build a cellphone tower in their neighborhood.

They fear an onslaught of invisible electromagnetic emissions, which some residents believe may lead to health problems.

Telus plans to build a tower on the Scottish Club property at 868 Valleyview Drive. Instead of a typical pyramid-style steel structure, the telecommunications equipment would be housed in a 42-metre tall flag pole.

A Telus official told The Examiner the company follows Health Canada standards that are enforced by Industry Canada.

It’s a “myth” that cellphone towers cause health problems, the official said.

But Steve Partridge doesn’t believe the assurances from Telus.

Partridge lives on Valleyview Drive with his wife, Jane Jopling, and their two sons, three-year-old William and one-year-old Jacob.

The tower will be built practically in his backyard.

“That kind of got me very concerned about the potential impact on our health, and my children’s health and also property value. I don’t think we can ignore that,” Partridge said.

“People don’t like buying homes close to the hydro towers, so if the publicity about this issue continues to grow I think there’s going to be a negative stigma attached to living close to these cell towers in residential areas.”

Telus sent a letter to nearby residents to tell them about the plan for the tower.

It would be a 42-metre tall flag pole with a 14.3-square-metre shelter at the base.

The tower would serve wireless phone coverage requirements for Telus Mobility for about the surrounding 10-kilometre radius, Telus senior planning specialist Alan Lee states.

When Partridge received the letter, he started doing research.

Now Partridge recites Industry Canada guidelines for cellphone towers and Health Canada regulations.

Partridge discusses research on the subject by a Trent University professor.

Health Canada’s permissible emission rate, or level of emissions, is 1,000 microwatts per second; Austria regulations prohibit above 0.1, Partridge said.

“If Austria thinks that their population is going to be harmed by levels above 0.1 microwatts per second, that’s good enough for me,” he said.

Electromagnetic radiation can be produced by items such as electrical wires, computer monitors, light bulbs, cellphones, wireless phones and wireless Internet equipment.

Partridge has a cellphone, but says he mostly uses it as an organizer and for text messages.

“I don’t use my cellphone 24 hours a day, and I’m not being hit with this radiation 24 hours a day, whereas with these towers they don’t shut off. They’re constantly emitting this electromagnetic radiation,” he said.

“In the data I’ve read, studies have shown cancer clusters, insomnia, people developing headaches, chronic fatigue, chronic pain.

“Why are we risking exposing residents to this radiation? Why risk it when we’ve got plenty of open land that can be used that’s not sitting in the middle of a residential neighbourhood, close to schools, close to hospitals?”

There are 13 cellphone stations in the city, an Industry Canada online database shows. Several stations share sites - such as at 1925 Television Rd. where both Rogers Wireless Inc. and Telus have stations.

There are cellphone stations in residential areas, such as at 630 Parkhill Rd., just east of Monaghan Road.

There’s one downtown at 212 Brock St.

Valleyview Drive residents may be surprised to learn there’s already a cellphone tower in their neighbourhood.

Industry Canada records show there’s a Rogers Wireless cellphone station at 1757 Parkhill, which is at Crowley Crescent, around the corner from where Partridge lives.

There are more than 1,000 Telus cellphone stations in Ontario and 20 or fewer have been controversial, said James Kennedy, Telus real estate and government affairs manager.

“Telus has its antennas on pretty much every hospital in Toronto, hundreds of residential buildings - completely and totally safe,” he said.

“There is certainly no evidence to suggest in any way that there are health effects from it. In fact, the overwhelming evidence from it is to the contrary.

“There’s a lot of misinformation. The problem is the science just doesn’t back it up.

“And yet the myth continues.”

Radio has been around for more than 100 years, Kennedy said.

“It’s the same technology,” he said.

Telus continues to build more cellphone stations to respond to customer demand.

Kennedy explained Telus expects wireless phones, wireless cable and wireless Internet will replace land lines in the next 10 years.

The tower on Valleyview Drive is scheduled for construction next year, Kennedy said.

The plan needs to be approved by Industry Canada before construction can begin. Kennedy wouldn’t say how far along this application process is or when Telus expects to get a decision from Industry Canada.

Trent University associate professor Magda Havas argues against putting cellphone towers in residential areas.

“They’re harmful to people,” she said.

Havas has been doing research on radiation since the 1990s. She teaches a course on the biological effects of electromagnetic fields.

While the cellphone industry respects Health Canada guidelines, the limits are too high, Havas said.

“The problem is Safety Code 6 does not protect public health. That’s based on a whole series of studies that have been done mostly in Europe,” she said.

“What they’re showing is that there’s an increased risk of cancers when you live within 400 metres of a cellphone antenna and there’s increased symptoms of something that’s known as electrohypersensitivity (EHS).”

Havas listed a host of symptoms associated with EHS: insomnia, chronic fatigue, chronic pain, difficulty concentrating, difficulty with short-term memory, for some people their skin reacts with rashes, for some people it affects their eye sight and for some people it affects their hearing and they may get ringing in their ears.

Havas explained Health Canada standards for electromagnetic radiation levels are based on thermal changes to the body - if it doesn’t heat your body by one degree in six minutes, then it’s safe. “You don’t have to have heating, but you could still have a biological effect,” she said.

An international working group of scientists released a report on electromagnetic fields and health last year.

The group found existing standards for public safety are inadequate to protect public health.

It refers to scientific evidence, raising concerns about health impacts including childhood leukemia, brain tumours and Alzheimer’s disease.

The report can be found at www.bio-initiative.org

Havas points to the bio-initiative report as one of the documents that supports her research.

Electromagnetic field exposure is getting higher, increasing the number of people who are becoming very sensitive to the emissions, Havas said.

“When it comes to antennas you’re at a much lower level but a much longer exposure with cellphone towers because every time someone uses that cellphone antenna you’re getting zapped to some degree,” she said.”One analogy is if you’re using a cellphone it’s like smoking and if you live near an antenna it’s like inhaling second-hand smoke and we now know that second-hand smoke is harmful.”

Partridge has invited Havas to a neighbourhood meeting so his neighbours can hear about her research and findings.

“The issue is not preventing cell towers from being built,” he said. “It’s being cautious about where they are placed and looking at the science and saying if there’s an opportunity to keep it away from residential neighbourhoods where we will not be exposing people to this issue, then let’s pursue that.”

Source: Peterborough Examiner