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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0110.015 2024-2026March 4, 2025 To: Hawaii County Council Windward Planning Commission From: Helen Nishimoto Re: Bill 24, Proposed sites for 5G Cellphone Towers There is no doubt that we are technology reliant and we would be lost without our cellphones and other technologies. The reality is that the wireless industry is both powerful and growing and there is a great need to develop the necessary infrastructure so that those technologies perform to our expectations and needs. With the advent of 5G cell towers, technology can further advance and at greater speeds. In addition, the state and county made a commitment to provide internet connectivity across the state. This is all great, but we must also be very cautious as to where we decide to place these cell towers. It is for this reason that I am opposed to Bill 24, and would instead, request that greater restrictions be placed on where cell towers are placed. Cell tower construction should avoid residential areas and school and health care facilities. No matter how amazing the technology, this should not be at the cost of human health. At the very least, 5G should be properly tested and regulated before being implemented across the country, and especially on our island as this is the place we all call home. I have been a 45+ year resident of the upper Kaumana area and have lived in Kaumana City for over 37 years. Ir 2022, we saw a sign posted on a property that a cell phone tower was proposed to be built just across the street from Kaumana City. A group of us testified to the County Council to stop the construction of this tower, only to be shocked when we saw it starting to be built a few months ago. We were tricked every step of the way during the process. The developer, Renegade, had proposed that the tower should be placed further up Saddle Road, but changed the location to cut costs. They contacted people living only within 500 feet of the proposed tower, which is completely inappropriate and inadequate- everyone in Kaumana City will be affected by this tower in one way or another. Therefore, everyone should have been consulted. The developer met with some of the people they contacted and the Kaumana City president, Mary Uyeda, who, without notifying any of us, spoke in support of the prosed tower, stating that she represented the residents. This is a complete lie. She did not call a meeting, she did not send emails, and she did not contact block captains; she did nothing except lie. Next, the real approval commission- Windward Planning Commission- met and approved it, all without us being made aware, and all without our area even having representation on the committee. We were never aware of the proposed tower until a sign went up on the property, long after Windward Planning Commission already approved it. II wonder how much this commission really took into consideration when they rubber stamped this health hazard in the making? I have serious concerns about the health risks that the 5G cell tower will pose for our Kaumana City residents. While many biased organizations have cited that there are no health risks related to 5G, I truly believe that they are either misinformed or they are purposely not disclosing the truth, all to push through their projects, all in the name of a needed technology. Comm. 11 It VO 15 Ref. TO: Ref. Da: While this technology is new and there hasn't been a lot of research done, there is ample research that shows that 5G is a type of EIVIF (electromagnetic field) radiation. The World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has designated this type of EIVIF as a Class 2B carcinogen. Other research has demonstrated that EMF is genotoxic, which means it can destroy your DNA. In addition, beyond cancer, multiple peer -reviewed scientific studies have also demonstrated that exposure to this type of radiation can result in a wide variety of conditions, including: infertility, nausea, hair loss, swelling, low energy, appetite loss, bone marrow damage, depression, organs damage, infections, confusion, incapacitation, and death. These EIVIFs attack our nervous and endocrine (hormones) systems, and produce oxidative stress and free radical damage, which have central roles in essentially all chronic diseases. In addition, our skin not only absorbs, but amplifies the absorption of the radiation. We all love our precious keiki. EMFs-the type of radiation emitted by 5G-have far greater health risks to children. Children, especially young children, absorb more radiation than adults because their brain tissues are more absorbent, their skulls are thinner and they are smaller. Not only do children absorb more radiation, but they are more susceptible to the health effects due to their developing bodies, and will have increased cumulative exposure across their lifetimes. When we multiply this with the vastly amplified exposure of 5G, the threat becomes far more serious. With 5G, children may be exposed to radiofrequency radiation constantly: at home, at school, and even out in the street. Kaumana City was not given careful consideration by developers, Windward Planning Commission, and the County Council. Kaumana City has catchment water systems, which will be contaminated with EMFs once the tower is activated. Water contaminated with EIVIFs is dramatically altered. Even if we don't drink it, we wash and clean ourselves with this water, and our skin absorbs it. In addition, Kaumana City is situated on a very steep slope, with dramatic altitude changes from one street to another. There are many houses that sit level, and even above the top of the cell tower. They will be facing EIVIFs head-on. In addition to the exposure and the compromise to our health, the 5G cell tower will dramatically affect our property values. Not only does the 180' unsightly beast loom far into the air and is visible to all areas in the subdivision, it will also deter conscientious and akamai people who have done their research from wanting to buy and live in a neighborhood with such a safety hazard. I shudder and feel violated every time I see this monstrosity driving up Kaumana Dr, turning onto Nolemana St, standing in my front and back yards, and even from inside my house. This is all because our servant leaders forgot us! We are worth more than a rubber stamp. Conflicting research, much of it industry -funded, keeps the public in doubt, denial, and in the dark about the negative effects of 5G. The value of wireless makes it politically favored, meaning they have virtual free reign to implement new technologies faster than they can be evaluated. Instead of thinking seriously about these major health concerns and conducting more research for the health and safety of our community, the rollout seems like it's being expedited and pushed to the point that developers seek free range to pick whatever site they choose. And now, you, our servant leaders want to hand it to them on a silver platter? When 5G towers are approved, they should be constructed in locations far from any residential neighborhoods, schools, and hospitals. I would therefore like to express my extreme opposition to Bill 24. There needs to be greater restrictions placed and imposed upon developers, not carte blanche passes to our aina. I would most of all like to ask you, our servant leaders to really think about what you are passing, who will it impact, are there health and safety concerns, is this something that could trigger lawsuits in the future when people start getting sick from the EMFs? Let your constituency know about these types of things long before they are perceived as being forced upon us. Fill the vacant positions on Windward Planning Commission, provide full disclosure to the public of potential development, issues, and meetings. Invite the public to testify at the Windward Planning Commission meetings.