HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-09-02 Rebecca Melendez Testimony (1)-Oppose From: Rebecca Melendez
To: WPCtestimonv
Subject: 8.INITIATOR: PLANNING DIRECTOR(PL-PDI-2024-000008)
Date: Monday,September 2,2024 2:52:48 PM
Attachments: Livina-close-to-a-mobi le-ph one-mast-has-conseauences.pdf
The Planning Director want's The purpose is to remove the requirement for a use permit to
establish telecommunication antennas and towers in certain zoning districts, add application
requirements, and amend standards for the establishment of telecommunication antennas and
towers.
Has there been any research done with the safety of cellphone towers in Hawai'i? Because
now is the time to consider ALL of the effects these towers can do to people on the island
before just freely saying apply and you'll have your tower. For the health of the island, its
community and visitors please look into researching these towers' effects before allowing
them to be built with ONLY an application.
Please deny this proposal until you have all the health risks.
Thank you,
Sincerely,
Rebecca Melendez
Please read the articles from the links I provide with a short description on the point they are
making. Also please read the attached document.
https://mdsafetech.org/cell-tower-health-effects/
2022 Review of Cell Tower Human Health Effects: Radiation Sickness,Cancer and Biochemical Changes
In August 2022 Biologist and researcher Alfonso Balmori published a thorough review of
the existing scientific literature on the effects of base station (cell tower) antennas on humans
in Environmental Research titled, Evidence for a health risk by RF on humans living
around mobile phone base stations: from radiofreiluency sickness to cancer. He states in
the abstract, "Overall results of this review show three types of effects by base station
antennas on the health of people: radiofrequency sickness (RS), cancer (C) and changes in
biochemical parameters (CBP). Considering all the studies reviewed globally (n 38),
73.6% (28138) showed effects: 73.9% (17123)for radiofrequency sickness, 76.9% (10113)for
cancer and 75.0% (618)for changes in biochemical parameters...Of special importance are
the studies performed on animals or trees near base station antennas that cannot be aware
of their proximity and to which psychosomatic effects can never be attributed."
https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/cell-tower-safely/
Cell Tower Radiation
But what about cell phone towers and mobile antennas attached to existing structures? You
can't easily avoid them as they are everywhere. They are even constructed right next to
schools in some cases.
Scientific Research:Living Close to a Cell Tower a Likely Cancer Risk
Many people seem to not worry about living or working in close proximity to cell towers and
antennas. However, German and Israeli research to date gives cause for concern.
https://news.berkeley.edu/2021/07/01/health-risks-of-cell-phone-radiation/
Moskowitz: Cellphone radiation is harmful, but few want to believe it
The telecommunications industry insists cellphone technology is safe. But the director of UC
Berkeley's Center for Family and Community Health is determined to prove it wrong.
"Cellphones, cell towers and other wireless devices are
Joel Moskowitz is a regulated by most governments, "said Moskowitz. "Our
researcher in the School government, however, stopped funding research on the
of Public Health and health effects of radiofrequency radiation in the 1990s. "
director of the Center for Since then, he said, research has shown significant adverse
Family and Community biologic and health effects including brain cancer
Health at UC Berkeley. associated with the use ofcellphones and other wireless
(School of Public Health devices. And now, he said, with the fifth generation of
photo) cellular technology, known as SG. there is an even bigger
reason for concern.
Translated with www.DeePL.com/Translator(free version)
The evidence is clear: Living close to a mobile phone mast has consequences
https://neetil5g.dk/mobilmaster/beviserne-er-klare-det-har-konsekvenser-at-bo-taet-pa-en-
mobilmast/
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS/MOBILE MASTS/MOBILE MASTS AND SAFETY/ HEALTH RISKS OF
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
Spanish wildlife biologist, BSc,Alfonso Balmori (1) had his research project'Evidence for a health risk
of RF on people living around mobile phone base stations:from radiofrequency disease to cancer'
published on 14 July 2022 (2)
Abstract
The aim of the project was to conduct a complete review of the existing scientific literature to
update knowledge on the effects of mobile masts on humans.Studies conducted in real urban
environments,with mobile masts located close to apartments,were selected.The overall results of
the review show three types of effects from mobile masts on human health: radiofrequency illness
(RS),cancer(C) and changes in biochemical parameters (CBP).
Of all studies,73.6%showed effects
Considering all the studies reviewed globally(n=38), 73.6% (28/38) showed effects: 73.9%(17/23)
for radiofrequency disease (hypersensitivity),76.9%(10/13)for cancer and 75.0%(6/8)for changes
in biochemical parameters. However, studies that did not meet the strict conditions for inclusion in
the review provided important additional evidence.The existence of similar effects from studies
from different sources(but with RF [radio frequency radiation] with similar characteristics), such as
radar, radio and TV antennas,wireless smart meters and laboratory studies, reinforces the
conclusions of this review.Of particular importance are studies conducted on animals or trees in the
vicinity of cell towers,which may not be aware of their proximity and which can never be attributed
to psychosomatic effects.
Excerpt
Introduction:
Over the last few decades,hundreds of thousands of mobile phone masts and other types of
wireless communication antennas have been installed around the world, in cities and in nature,
including in protected natural areas, in addition to the antennas already in place (television, radio
transmission, radar,etc.) (3) Only the aesthetic aspects or city regulations have generally been taken
into account in this implementation,while the biological, environmental and health effects of the
associated non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation emissions have not yet been assessed.The impact
on people living around these man-made electromagnetic field sources (antennas) has therefore not
been considered.
In France,there is a significant contribution of mobile phone masts to the exposure to
radiofrequency electromagnetic fields(RF-EMF)of urban dwellers living nearby(De Giudici et al.,
2021). Some studies from India indicate that more than 15%of people have EMF intensity levels
above 12 V/m due to their proximity to antennas(Premlal and Eldhose, 2017). Exposure estimates
have shown that RF EMF from mobile phone systems is stronger in urban areas than in rural areas.
For example, RF radiation levels have increased significantly in Sweden in recent years, both
outdoors and indoors, due to new telecommunication technologies,and the median power density
measured for RF fields between 30 MHz and 3 GHz was 16 µW/m2 in rural areas,270 µW/m2 in
built-up areas and 2400 µW/m2 in urban areas(Hardell et al.,2018).Total exposure varies not only
between urban and rural areas but also, depending on housing types, between different floors of a
building,with a tendency for exposure in buildings to increase at higher floors (Breckenkamp et al.,
2012).
Research
Over the last five decades,and more intensively since the beginning of this century, many studies
and numerous surveys have been published on the effects of man-made electromagnetic radiation
on people living around antennas.The first studies were carried out with radio and television
antennas, investigating increases in cancer and leukaemia (Milham, 1988; Maskarinec et al., 1994;
Hocking et al., 1996; Dolk et al., 1997a, 1997b; Michelozzi et al. 1998;Altpeter et al., 2000), as well
as around radars(Kolodynski and Kolodynska, 1996; Goldsmith, 1997).
Regarding mobile masts,there are scientific inconsistencies in their effects: some studies concluded
that there are no health-related effects (e.g.Augner and Hacker, 2009; Blettner et al., 2009; Roosli et
al., 2010; Baliatsas et al., 2016),whereas others found increases in cancer and other health
problems in people living around the antennae (e.g. Santini et al., 2002; Navarro et al., 2003;
Bortkiewicz et al, 2004; Eger et al., 2004; Wolf and Wolf, 2004; Abdel-Rassoul et al., 2007; Khurana
et al., 2010; Dode et al., 2011; Shinjyo and Shinjyo, 2014; Gandhi et al., 2015; Lopez et al., 2021;
Rodrigues et al. ., 2021).
Symptoms
There is a specific symptomatology associated with radar and RF exposure at low levels,
characterized by functional disturbances of the central nervous system (headache,sleep
disturbances, malaise, irritability, depression, memory loss, dizziness,fatigue, nausea, loss of
appetite, difficulty concentrating,vertigo,etc.), symptoms that have been termed 'RF disease'
(hypersensitivity) (Lilienfeld et al, 1978;Johnson Lyakouris, 1998; Navarro et al., 2003).
Section excerpt
Methods:
Only studies conducted in real urban environments,with mobile masts placed close to apartments,
were selected. Studies conducted in larger regions with numerous antennas, based on surveys and
geographical data,were also included.
Results:
The studies that met the selected criteria are presented in chronological order in Table 1,catalogued
as Y/N depending on whether they found effects or not.The selected studies cover three types of
effects: radiofrequency sickness (RS) (according to Lilienfeld et al., 1978;Johnson Lyakouris, 1998),
cancer(C) and changes in biochemical parameters (CBP).Table 1 also includes the authors,year and
country, antenna type, study design, diseases and symptoms found/not found and the main
conclusions from each study.
Discussion:
The results of this review show three types of effects from mobile masts on human health:
radiofrequency disease,cancer and changes in biochemical parameters(Fig. 1).Among all these
studies, most of them found effects(73.6%).Thus, despite some limitations and differences in study
design,statistical measures, risk estimates and exposure categories (Khurana et al., 2010),together
they provide a consistent picture of the effects on the health of people living near mobile phone
masts.
The precautionary principle
The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) (4) is a private
organization that issues exposure guidelines that are then adopted by governments, but it has been
accused of having conflicts of interest(Hardell and Carlberg, 2020; Hardell et al, ICNIRP's limit values
(2010, 2020) are thousands of times above the levels at which effects are recorded for both
extremely low frequency and RF man-made EMFs and only take into account thermal (heat) effects,
whereas the vast majority of recorded effects are non-thermal. Existing guidelines for public health
protection only consider the effects of acute intense (thermal) exposures and do not protect against
long-term lower-level exposures (Israel et al., 2011;Yakimenko et al., 2011; Blank et al., 2015 ;
Starkey, 2016; Belpomme and Irigaray, 2022).The duration of exposure is crucial to assess the
induced effects.
Conclusion:
Under the current circumstances, it seems that the scientific experts in the field are very clear about
the serious problems we face and have expressed this through important appeals(Blank et al., 2015;
Hardell and Nyberg, 2020). However,the media, responsible organisations (World Health
Organization, 2015)and governments do not pass on this crucial information to the population,
which thus remains uninformed. For these reasons,the current situation is likely to end in a crisis
not only for health, but also for the technology itself, as it is unsustainable and harmful to the
environment and people.
Source:
1) Balmori,A. 'Evidence for a health risk by RF on humans living around mobile phone base stations:
From radiofrequency sickness to cancer.' Environmental Research (2022), doi:
10.1016A.envres.2022.113851.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/SO013935122011781
2)You can read more about Balmori here:
https://ehtrust.org/26684-2/
3) USA: According to Joel M. Moskowitz, as of 6 February 2021 at www.antennasearch.com,an
industry website,there were 803,000 cell towers and 2.1 million cell towers reported in the USA.
Texas has the most cell towers(80,300), and California has the most cell towers(151,000). We
cannot verify the accuracy of this data because the FCC only collects data on certain types of cell
towers.The difference between the two types is that the cell tower may consist of a larger number
of different transmission towers.
https://millmanland.com/company-news/what-is-a-cell-tower-and-how-does-a-cell-tower-work/
https://www.steelintheair.com/cell-site-types/
Denmark: There are approximately 13,000 mobile masts in Denmark registered in the mast
database. One in four is on public land,while three quarters are on private rooftops, private grass or
land. Most Danes would agree that good mobile coverage is a good idea, but few would want a
mobile mast near their home.
https://www.dingeo.dk/data/mobilmaster/
4)About ICNIRP see e.g. more here:
https://neitil5g.dk/icnirp/5g-tester-graenserne-for-tillid/
See more here:
Joel M. Moskowitz has collected more links to research articles and studies on mobile masts and
health effects:
https://www.saferemr.com/2015/04/ce11-tower-heaIth-effects.htmI
Mobile masts, health risks and law and justice. What can you do about it?
https://neeti15g.dk/dokumenter/mobilmaster-sundhedsrisici-eeendomsvaerdi-og-hvad-kan-du-gore-
ved-det
Microwave radiation from cell towers on rooftops produced medical symptoms consistent with
microwave syndrome:
https://neetil5g.dk/sundhedsrisici-ved-elektromagnetisk-straaling/casestudie-5g-giver-
mikroboelgesyndrom/
Mobile masts and hotspots in Stockholm:
https://neetil5g.dk/mobilmaster-og-sikkerhed/mobilmaster-og-hotspots-i-stockholm/
Swedish research on mobile phone masts and electromagnetic hypersensitivity:
https://neetil5g.dk/sundhedsrisici-ved-elektromagnetisk-straaling/svensk-forskning-om-
mobilmaster-og-elektromagnetisk-overfoelsomhed/
Santini R. et al: Investigation on the health of people living near mobile telephone relay stations:
I/Incidence according to distance and sex. Pathol. Biol. 2002
Health problems associated with microwaves. Decreases with distance from mobile mast to
dwelling. Despite exposure being well below current limits.The limit values therefore do not appear
to be limiting health problems.
Red bars are closest to the mobile mast, black bars furthest away.
SYMPTOMS:
1. Exhaustion
2. Sleep disturbance
3. Headaches
4. Discomfort
5. Concentration problems
6. Depression
7. Memory loss
8.Visual disturbances
9. Irritability
10 Hearing disorders
11. Skin problems
12. Cardiovascular
13. Dizziness
14. Lack of appetite
15. Movement problems
16. Nausea
A questionnaire survey was conducted among 530 people (270 men, 260 women) living or not near
mobile phone base stations on 18 non-specific health symptoms. Comparisons of complaint
frequencies(CHI-SQUARE test with Yates correction) according to distance from base station and
gender showed significant(p<0.05) increase compared to subjects living>300 m or not exposed to
base station, up to 300 m for fatigue, 200 m for headache, sleep disturbance,discomfort etc. 100 m
for irritability, depression, loss of memory,dizziness, libido decrease etc. Women complained
significantly more often than men (p<0.05) about headache, nausea, loss of appetite,sleep
disturbance, depression, discomfort and visual disturbance.This first study of symptoms
experienced by people living near base stations shows that, in view of radio protection,the
minimum distance of people from mobile phone base stations should not be <300 m.
https://www.iddd.de/umtsno/Santini.pdf
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