2020-01-08 Exh A Hearing Transcript Cellco Partnership dba Verizon Amend USE 15-056

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WIRICK: Yes, my name is Ric Wirick. I live in Orchidland Estates just across the highway from HPP. First of all, I do have a question for the Commission. Is this meeting today to approve the tower going in or just to approve the road access to the tower going in? CLARKSON: It's to approve the time extension required for completion with all of the conditions that were added to protect endangered species and with the new road access. The tower itself is not up for consideration today. That's my understanding. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong. AGUINALDO: That's correct. WIRICK: Okay, because I believe, you know, most of us that are here are here because the public health and welfare, safety issue created by the tower. And, so, I guess what would be best for us, especially us that are here, is how do we get our testimony in demanding actually that the County take the time to do the necessary studies around existing towers to show the community that this is a safe structure to put up? Now, there have been studies going on for over a decade in Europe. They were showing up to 70 percent of the people that live around within a half mile of these radiuses are being adversely affected, including the raise of cancer in individuals and that, so I'm just asking at this particular point, how do we go through the process to have every one of these towers looked at before they go in and make sure that the public safety hazard that it does create is addressed because there will be in time class action lawsuits going against the County for approving these things and the companies for installing these things. I mean, if we look at the scientific data that they presented to us today, if you remember, back in the 1950's we had doctors recommending Camel cigarettes to their patient with the AMA backing them. Today, we laugh at that. I'm telling you, that took 50 years to come around the corner. We're looking now at a risk that is involving safety of individuals and to allow these towers to go up around homes, schools, and also churches is, you know, verging on, you know, a form of insanity. We have to be able to move forward with this addressing the public safety issue in a realistic term looking at studies that have already been done in Europe, having countries already stop this. Like Belgium stopping any installation of new 5G towers and that how do we as a community stand up to protect ourselves before this hazard is put in place? CLARKSON: To answer your question to the best of my ability, and I'll invite other Commissioners to speak to this issue, too, my suggestion is that you contact your Federal elected representatives, and I'll tell you why. There is a Federal law that prohibits any local jurisdiction from even considering the health effects of radiofrequency emissions in the consideration of siting telecom facilities. So, you all are very welcome to make your views known, but we as a local jurisdiction, the Planning Commission and the County, cannot consider any health effects of radiowaves in making our decision. So, if you think that that's wrong, Federal law needs to be changed, and the only way to do that is to get a representative before Congress to introduce those changes. COUCH: That's 4G to 5G is in your power to say no, too, because they didn't apply for it. Well, just pointing it out. EXHIBIT A 10