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| Southsiders irked by mast ‘slur’ | |
| Ireland | Created: 12 Oct 2007 |
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A mobile phone company has infuriated residents of the Southside by accusing them of adopting NIMBY (‘Not in My Backyard’) attitudes to planning. In an appeal against a decision by Dublin City Council to refuse planning permission for a mobile phone mast in Crumlin, Threefold – operating on behalf of Meteor – accused locals who had objected to the masts of having a “typical NIMBY approach to development in Ireland”. The statement has angered locals who feel that it is an insult to people who were exercising their constitutional right to object to planning applications. Francis Barnett, a resident of Iveagh Gardens, said the document had got local people “really fired up”. “The statement has effectively insulted the people whom they hope to recruit on to their network,” she said. “It is a very arrogant statement, very dismissive and insulting. We are just exercising our constitutional right to object. We are not the one that refused them planning permission; it was Dublin City Council.” Mobile phone companies O2, Meteor and Vodafone had attached mobile phone masts to flood lighting fixtures at the Iveagh Sports Ground in Crumlin after they were leased to them by the Guinness Athletic Union (GAU) through a letting agency, ISM Ireland. All three mobile phone companies attached the telecommunications equipment to the floodlight fixtures without planning permission and subsequently applied for planning retention, which has since been refused by Dublin City Council. Although the city council has served enforcement notices on the three companies to take down the masts, they will have to await the outcome of appeals by Meteor and O2 to An Bord Pleanála. Vodafone has decided not to appeal the decision. The masts and substations are located within 35 metres of the 109 houses in Iveagh Gardens and within 250 metres of the nearby Ardscoil Éanna. Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin, is also located some 500 metres away from the grounds. Residents of the adjoining Iveagh Gardens and a number of local councillors staged several protest marches during the summer demanding that the GAU take down the masts, as they feared the telecommunications equipment could potentially damage local people’s health. Refused The city council refused permission for the mobile masts on the grounds of an “absence of pre-planning discussions” and because the council “is not satisfied that the applicant has made a reasonable effort to share installations with other operators in this area, in order to discourage proliferation and clutter”. They also ruled that “the siting of telecommunications antenna in close proximity to the rear of existing residential property is considered to be unacceptable”. However, in their appeal, Threefold, on behalf of Meteor, provided a number of reasons why they believe An Bord Pleanála should overturn the city council’s decision. “The Athletic Grounds are one of the few areas in Crumlin that is not residential,” the statement reads. “The location of the antennae is approximately 200 metres from the nearest dwelling.” As part of their appeal they also said that a submission made by residents to Dublin City Council before they decided to refuse permission for the masts “is a typical NIMBY (Not in my back yard) approach to development in Ireland”. “Mobile phone infrastructure is a very serious public demand and expectation in Ireland and all mobile operators are bound by their licence agreement with the Irish Government and ComReg,” the statement adds. “Part of this licence agreement would be to provide coverage in Dublin resulting in providing coverage in the subject area, Crumlin.” However, Ms Barnett contested the assertion that the development was not proposed for a residential area, claiming that the nearest dwelling in Iveagh Gardens was just 35 metres away from the masts and not 200 metres as Threefold stated in their submission. “What has happened is that the whole thing has gathered momentum and the Crumlin Road Residents’ Association, Lisadell Residents’ Association and the Drimnagh Network are all getting involved in the campaign against the masts.” In a statement Meteor said that in certain circumstances under the Planning Development Act 2000 there are exceptions which allow the erection of antenna without prior planning permission. “Threefold, agent of Meteor, understood the circumstances in the Athletic Grounds, Crumlin to be one of the exceptions,” the statement declares. “When advised this was not the case, engineering company Threefold, on behalf of Meteor, made the application for the erection of an antenna in the Athletic Grounds Crumlin. The application was rejected and an appeal was submitted. “Meteor, as always, will accept and abide by the decision of the city council following appeal.” |
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| Click here to view the source article. | |
| Source: Dublin People, 12 Oct 2007 | |
| Commission OKs cell tower plan for Old Town, Howland | |
| USA | Created: 12 Oct 2007 |
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A cellular phone company received state authorization Wednesday to build a 320-foot tower in the Penobscot County town of Argyle. The Land Use Regulation Commission approved the application from Bangor Cellular Telephone to build the tower on a 65-acre lot located approximately 1,400 feet off Route 116 in Argyle. The tower will be erected on a plot that has already been partially logged by the current landowner, G&D Properties Inc. A representative for U.S. Cellular, the company that will operate the tower, said the structure is needed to close coverage gaps that exist between Old Town and Howland. According to the applicant, the tower will stand 320 feet tall but only be about 30 inches in diameter. The structure will be supported by three guy wires and will feature three lights — one on top and two mid-stage — to comply with Federal Aviation Administration requirements. Bob Gashlin, the representative for U.S. Cellular, said he negotiated a lease on the site because G&D Properties was already planning to build a logging road and cut trees on the property. There is a house on the property, which is also owned by G&D Properties. Gashlin acknowledged that the tower will be visible from part of the Penobscot River near Hemlock Island and possibly from some residences along Route 116. But he said the tower’s narrow width should give it a lower profile, despite its height. The commissioners unanimously approved the tower. Gashlin said the company plans to begin construction right away. |
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| Click here to view the source article. | |
| Source: Bangor Daily News, Kevin Miller, 11 Oct 2007 | |
| County turns down cell tower request | |
| USA | Created: 12 Oct 2007 |
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BROOKSVILLE — These days, cell towers come fashionably dressed. To hide the ugly cables and antennas, imaginative designers disguise them as church steeples, bell towers, flagpoles and roadside light poles. But county commissioners decided Wednesday a cell tower is still a tower, no matter how much lipstick builders apply. They voted 3-2 to deny a company’s request to erect a 140-foot communication tower in a lightly wooded section at the southwest corner of Spring Hill Drive and Deering Avenue. The applicant planned to locate the structure on the grounds at Fellowship Wesleyan Church of Spring Hill, at 11250 Spring Hill Drive. Commissioners were poised to approve the request and even went so far as to consider the bell tower option, which would have fit well next to a church. But their enthusiasm was deflated after Jewel Agostinacchio, whose home would have backed up about 200 feet from the tower, gave an emotional appeal to the board. The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) would not insure a mortgage loan on her property because of the proximity of the cell tower, she said, backing up the claim with a letter displayed on the overhead projector. If this cell tower is allowed, “just take my house from me,” Agostinacchio told commissioners. Lauralee Westine, an attorney representing various cell phone companies and tower builders, said she had not heard of mortgage companies refusing to insure homes. She said the tower would be unobtrusive and shielded with trees. But in the end, commissioners could not disregard Agostinacchio’s testimony. Further crippling Westine’s case was testimony from cell tower consultant Art Peters, who told the board a bell tower has three monopoles and is big and intrusive no matter where it is positioned on the property. Peters’ testimony seemed to seal the deal for commissioners. When Commissioner Diane Rowden’s motion to approve the tower request died for lack of a second, Commissioner David Russell asked for denial. It was quickly seconded and Westine’s request died. “Yes, there is a need for cell towers because of the technology,” Commissioner Rose Rocco said. “But we have to be aware of where we put them. They are intrusive, without a question.” Dennis Curatolo, who owns property off Deering Avenue, called Wednesday’s decision a “victory for little residential neighborhoods.” Westin would not comment on her client’s next move. By law, any applicant whose request is denied at a land use hearing has 30 days to appeal the decision. |
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| Click here to view the source article. | |
| Source: Hernando Today, MICHAEL D. BATES, 10 Oct 2007 | |
| Cell tower debate gains momentum | ||
| USA | Created: 12 Oct 2007 | |
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A new cell tower could mean less dropped calls for some Bartlett residents — but could be a permanent eyesore to residents living near the 140-foot structure. U.S. Cellular is proposing a cellular tower for a horse farm in the 600 block of South Bartlett Road in the downtown area, just across the street from 21 children and 14 adults living in Amherst Meadow subdivision. It is about 250 feet from Jeff Vosberg’s home. “The most offensive part is it’s 140 feet — that’s the size of the Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier,” he said. “This thing is massive.” If the project is approved, Vosberg could view the tower from his front window. The structure would be shaped like a flag pole, which U.S. Cellular representatives contend would make it blend into the neighborhood. “It’s like putting lipstick on a pig,” Vosberg said. “There’s no way its going to blend.” Vosberg has created signs that read “No Massive Cell Tower” that line his neighborhood and collected 418 signatures for an online petition. The village hosted a public hearing at the June Plan Commission meeting, during which the phone company’s desire to build the tower was discussed. An additional tower would provide more coverage to customers experiencing a gap in their system, according to the project manager for U.S. Cellular, Rich Lazarski. “As we move forward, we need to look at how many people are using cell phones inside buildings,” he said. “More and more people have discontinued their home phone.” U.S. Cellular said there are four cell towers near Bartlett and they are unable to pick up a small pocket of the village. Once providing a sufficient signal for customers walking or driving, the company receives complaints from the growing number of residents using cell phones inside their homes. Researching which areas could serve a cell tower, U.S. Cellular looked at eight other options — after ruling out the water tower because of too many antennas and after being denied by the Park District to build on soccer fields — before finally settling on the horse farm. This does not sit well with neighbors. “The fact is this is not their best choice — it is their ninth best choice,” Vosberg said. At this price, Vosberg said the village should be doing more to explore other options. The village is looking into alternative solutions, such as placing an antenna on top of an existing structure. This week Verizon Wireless floated a less controversial proposal, to place an antenna on top of power lines in the industrial area of Brewster Creek Business Park. There are power lines near the horse farm to provide for U.S. Cellular’s gap, but they are shorter and made of different material than the power lines in Brewster Creek. The company has said it would consider multiple 70-foot towers in place of a 140-foot structure, but it would not be its first choice. “It’s kind of like holding a flashlight over the top of a table,” Lazarski said. “The taller the tower, the more wide the coverage would be.” Chances are the smaller towers would be closer to the residential area also, he said. According to the village’s community development director, Jim Plonczynski, the village is limited because it does not have the technology to determine whether a coverage gap exists. “It’s the village’s responsibility to took at this location and weigh the benefits to those who would have better service against those people opposed to it that live near the site,” he said. “It’s a tough decision.” The village hired a consultant, Stu Chapman of Municipal Services Associates, who has confirmed U.S. Cellular’s gap coverage claims. “There is limited bandwidth right now,” he said. “With more people using video technology, towers are really strained.” A public hearing was originally scheduled for August, but was pushed back to October after U.S. Cellular requested more time. The meeting was supposed to take place Thursday but was pushed back to December because the company is waiting on a replica of the cell tower, which would be placed at the site to give residents an idea of its appearance. The replica tower will not be available until December. |
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| Click here to view the source article. | ||
| Source: Chicago Suburban News, Alison Swade, 11 Oct 2007 | ||
| U-turn gives victory to anti-mast campaigners | |
| United Kingdom | Created: 12 Oct 2007 |
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CAMPAIGNERS in West Hampstead are calling a victory in the battle against mobile phone masts. Residents and traders in Iverson Road are celebrating after a business pulled out of a deal to put up a mobile phone mast. Bosses at Iverson Tyres say their surprise decision - which came as the foundations were being dug for the O2 mast - was taken because they do not want to anger loyal customers. Managing director David Gardner said: "We had overlooked the tremendous support that the local community has shown us over the years and feel it is important to show our support in return. "We have a very strong customer base in the immediate vicinity going back 15 years. "The community, our customers of all generations, have consistently advertised on our behalf the excellent service that we provide and we are grateful to them for that." Tensions on Iverson Road have been fraught ever since residents found out the O2 company wanted to install the 15metre mast on their doorsteps. In June scuffles broke out in Iverson Tyres' offices when protestors tried to deliver a 250 signature petition to Mr Gardner. The group claimed the mast would be a blot on the landscape. And there were also health concerns over increased radiation levels. O2 would have been the third telecom giant to have a mast on the street after Vodafone and Orange. Resident Steven Jones said: "This is a message of hope for all those who think that just because the council has given planning permission that there is no point in carrying on with a campaign. "Local people continued their battle to present David Gardner with their views and here you have the result. We applaud Mr Gardner for heeding our views and thank him for showing this consideration for our community." Another protestor Roger Tavener, owner of C Tavener & Son builders withdrew his business from Iverson Tyres when he heard news of the planned mast. He said: "If this is official then we will end the boycott and continue to use Iverson Tyres. We were a good customer to them. I am very happy to hear the news." But O2, which was shocked to hear of the turnaround, has promised not to give up. Spokesman James Stevenson said: "We will go and see them and find out the reason why they have backed out on the agreement. "We will try to talk to them about how safe the mobile phone stations are and how they cause no health and safety problems for residents. They had already started putting it in." |
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| Click here to view the source article. | |
| Source: Hampstead and Highgate Express, Ben McPartland, 11 Oct 2007 | |
| Bid to curb phone mast menace | |
| United Kingdom | Created: 12 Oct 2007 |
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MPs are being asked to support a bid by a district council to protect residents from the proliferation of mobile phone masts. North Hertfordshire District Council intends to write to Oliver Heald, MP for Hertfordshire North East, and Peter Lilley, MP for Hitchin and Harpenden, to request active support in the council's call for greater powers when it comes to considering planning applications to erect telecommunication masts. In particular, the council wants to be able to prohibit the development of any phone masts without planning permission - currently there is a series of variables which determine whether a mast needs planning permission, such as height, prominence and size in relation to height. The council also wants to be able to ensure that, wherever possible, telephone masts be constructed on the basis that they can be shared between operators. John Booth, NHDC councillor for Letchworth South East, said: "There is an obligation for mobile phone companies to share masts where possible, but they can technically put up a mast which is very difficult to share and you can't complain that they shouldn't do it that way. That has happened in Letchworth, certainly." He added: "There are only a limited number of ways for the council to object [to an application], and it is very difficult. If [a mobile phone company] says that, technically, a mast has to be somewhere, it is very difficult to say 'no, we shouldn't put it there.'" Cllr Booth explained that, if the council had experts to assess existing masts and their coverage, it would be more able to challenge the necessity of certain planning applications. But Cllr Booth said: "Realistically a local council is not going to have those experts and can't afford to employ someone. "We want MPs to support a broader set of reasons to oppose planning permission, to give greater control to local councils, and to give flexibility for planning committees to object and compel the phone companies to change." Mr Heald said: "This is an issue I have raised in the House of Commons in the past. I strongly support the council's proposal and have already written to ministers raising it again." Mr Lilley said: "I want to increase the powers of local authorities but when I published a Bill it was voted on and then defeated. "It is, however, something I'm keen to put forward again in the future. |
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| Click here to view the source article. | |
| Source: Comet 24, 11 Oct 2007 | |
| Elöverkänsliga er besvärliga og potentielt onde for socialtjänsten | |
| Sweden | Created: 11 Oct 2007 |
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Mörkt, fuktigt och otäckt - Så upplever socialtjänstens personal besöken hos en elöverkänslig i Sundsvalls kommun. Därför kräver Arbetsmiljöverket att de i fortsättningen alltid ska vara två när de åker hem till personen. Den elöverkänslige vårdtagaren bor avskilt för att minska sina besvär, omväxlande i en stuga och en kåta. Kommunen levererar mat och andra förnödenheter. Men personalen som utför arbetet känner osäkerhet och obehag inför uppdraget. För att minska hans besvär måste de parkera bilen 600 meter från hans hem. Mobiltelefonen saknar täckning i området. Det är mörkt i både stugan och kåtan, så de kan inte se hur vårdtagaren mår, och de oroar sig för att utsättas för hot och våld. För att förbättra arbetsmiljön kräver Arbetsmiljöverket bland annat bättre ljus i bostaden och att personalen i fortsättningen alltid ska vara två när de besöker mannen. |
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| Click here to view the source article. | |
| Source: Sundsvalls Tidning, 09 Oct 2007 | |
| Phone mast fury | |
| United Kingdom | Created: 11 Oct 2007 |
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FEARS have been raised that a community is becoming a dumping ground for phone masts. If proposals by mobile phone giant Vodafone goes ahead, residents would see an eighth mast built in the area — the third in just one street. The company says the mast, earkmarked for Knightswood, would be for 3G coverage only and has delayed lodging an official application so consultation can take place with the community. However, councillor for the area Paul Rooney says there are genuine worries over the plans and fears his constituency is becoming a dumping ground for the West End of Glasgow. He told the Post: “I have already been contacted by several concerned residents over this proposal. There are real concerns over this. “Should the mast be erected then it will be the third on Alderman Road and the eighth in total in Knightswood. “My understanding is the mast’s coverage is primarily the West End, so why is their preferred location Knightswood?” The latest mast would be situated at the junction of Alderman Road and Anniesland Road and tower to the height of 15 metres — around 50ft. In consultation papers, 17 sites were investigated by Vodafone for the mast, which would serve areas of the surrounding community and Partick. Of that total, 11 sites in the West End were considered, plus four in Knightswood and two in Scotstoun. The Alderman Road base — which will also include installation of an equipment cabin and antennas — was the preferred choice despite being near to the Jehovah’s Witness Hall and houses. Councillor Rooney added: “I hope telecommunication companies are not viewing Knightswood as a suitable dumping ground for their masts which are not wanted by residents in the West End. “I will be consulting with the residents of Knightswood to obtain their opinions before calling a meeting with the consultants.” A Vodafone spokesman said: “Vodafone is committed to community consultation regarding the rollout of radio base stations to provide 3G coverage to our customers. “This site is a 15 metre slimline monopole which will give 3G coverage to our customers in the local area. “We have considered a number of other sites, including existing telecommunication installations in the area, and have concluded that the proposed site provides the best solution, with least environmental impact. “Vodafone will not be submitting a planning application for the site until further consultation with the local authority and community council has been completed.” |
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| Click here to view the source article. | |
| Source: Clydebank Post, Lorna Caitens, 10 Oct 2007 | |
| Where's Interphone? Cardis Speaks | |
| France | Created: 11 Oct 2007 |
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Why is the Interphone study not finished yet? "The interpretation is not straightforward," Elisabeth Cardis told Microwave News in an interview from her office at IARC in Lyon, France. The data are "very difficult to interpret because of the potential problems of recall and selection bias," she explained. Cardis [1] is leading the Interphone project [2], an international epidemiological study investigating the possible link between the use of cell phones and brain tumors. The study was originally slated to be completed years ago. Asked when the paper with the combined data from all 13 countries would be out, Cardis replied, "Soon, I hope." IARC has posted an update on the study on its Web site [3]. It includes a table with the key results from individual countries as well as those from two combined analyses. The update also provides a list of the more than 30 papers published by various members of the Interphone team. The update addresses the most widely discussed —and provocative— findings: The significantly increased risks of gliomas and acoustic neuromas, by up to 40% and 80%, respectively, among those who used mobile phones for ten years or more on the side of the head the tumors developed. These results came out of pooled analyses of data from five northern European countries (see our January 22 post) [4]. Cardis noted that these elevated risks "might either reflect a true causal association or be artifactual, related to recall bias among the cases." One unexpected finding that has emerged from a number of Interphone study groups is that using a cell phone appears to protect against developing a tumor. (See, for example, the letters from Sam Milham, a Washington state epidemiologist, to the American Journal of Epidemiology [5] and the British Journal of Cancer [6].) This result, Cardis explained, may be due to selection bias, that is, the controls and/or the cases may not be completely representative. "It's hard to believe the use of a phone for a few minutes a month could be protective against brain cancer," Cardis said. If selection bias is in fact at work, it may mean that the published results underestimate the true cancer risks. The analysis of the Interphone data continues and may provide some clarification, especially with respect to long-term users. "Manuscripts presenting results of the international analyses, based on much larger numbers of long-term and heavy users, are in preparation," the IARC update states, adding that, "More detailed analyses are also underway, focusing on more precise localization of tumors using 3-dimensional radiological images, and on the analysis of the effect of RF exposure at the location of the tumor." [1] http://www.iarc.fr/ENG/Units/cvcardis.html [2] http://www.iarc.fr/ENG/Units/RCAd.html [3] http://www.iarc.fr/ENG/Units/INTERPHONEresultsupdate.pdf [4] http://www.microwavenews.com/nc_jan2007.html [5] http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/short/kwi244v1 [6] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=16570042 |
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| Click here to view the source article. | |
| Source: Microwave News, Louis Slesin, 09 Oct 2007 | |
| School phone mast cancer fear | ||||
| United Kingdom | Created: 11 Oct 2007 | |||
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FOUR pupils from a school surrounded by 15 mobile phone masts have been struck down by brain cancer. Two current primary kids under 11 and two former students, aged 14 and 21, have been diagnosed with tumours. And a child from another school nearby has DIED from brain cancer. All are thought to be male. St Joseph’s Roman Catholic primary in Chalfont St Peter, Bucks, is ringed by the mobile masts. One stands just 750 metres from school grounds. Parents fear it could be Britain’s first example of a link between multiple cancer victims — a cluster — and mobile masts. The local Director of Public Health is now investigating. The boy who died, thought to be under 16, attended Thorpe House Independent School in Gerrards Cross. It shares a playing field with the Catholic school. Business manager Michael Pidding, 21 — a St Joseph’s old boy — has a grade two tumour. His mum Angie Richards, of Chalfont St Peter, said: “It is terminal. Miracles can happen and I’m praying for one. “You hear so much about tumours being linked to masts, I want the truth. Other children might also have tumours.” Vodafone, responsible for two masts south of St Joseph’s, quoted new findings saying it was “highly unlikely” the weak signals given off could affect health. However expert Leeds University Prof Patricia McKinney said: “It’s an unusual cluster. “Tumours are very rare in children. But it must be remembered the dose from a mast is lower than what you get from a handset.” The Government is believed to have earned £22billion from selling mast licences. Earlier this week a global study showed using a mobile for more than ten years increases the risk of a brain tumour. DO you know anyone affected by the mobile cancer scare? Call our news desk on 0207 782 4104, text 63000 or email 63000 [-at-] thesun.co.uk |
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| Source: The Sun, EMMA MORTON, 10 Oct 2007 | ||||
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