Search news: View news by countries View all news

«First  ‹Previous   Page 246 of 247   Next›  Last»

Xghajra parents appeal against mobile phone mast
Malta	Created: 20 Aug 2007
Parents from Xghajra and the local council are up in arms after neighbours installed a mobile phone antenna on their roof in Triq Awrat. When the MEPA application permit was displayed on their building, some residents wrote to MEPA stating their objections. However, they have now discovered that in spite of their objection, the antenna was installed because there are new legal notices 115 and 187, which state that no MEPA approval is needed for such installations!! When the mobile company was contacted, it said that such antennae are not harmful; however the parents have other reports showing that radiation issued within 500m of installations are harmful especially for children, even though the radiation is below the stipulated limit. Children are more prone to such hazards as they absorb the radiation far more than adults. The radiation kills parts of the cells of the body that fight cancer. The parents are now collecting signatures and appealing to the authorities, and all other parents who are concerned about their children’s health, to have a look around and check if they are at risk. “We, as parents, work and do more than our best to ensure the best education, healthiest food, best exercise and standard of living for our children, but we simply cannot accept that someone is just ignoring their health, for Lm1,000 a year!! Our kids are irreplaceable,” the parents said. The petition has so far attracted more than 100 signatures. Since the authorities were contacted, MEPA has only sent an acknowledgement and the Malta Communications Authority sent a technician to check radiation levels.
Click here to view the source article.
Source: Malta Independent Online, 18 Aug 2007

Planned U.S. radar base not to harm locals' health - Czech army
Czech Republic	Created: 19 Aug 2007
Prague- The US missile defence radar base possibly to be stationed some 90km southwest of Prague would not threaten people's health if the safety zone is respected, Czech military's chief sanitary officer, Petr Navratil, told journalists today. "The possibility of the population's health being harmed can be excluded," Navratil said. The safety zone has been preliminary set at 800 metres from the radar installations. A team of Czech military experts presented their conclusions in a study on the radar issued today. The expert study will soon be available on the Internet, they said. Czech opposition leader Jiri Paroubek (Social Democrats, CSSD) today indirectly challenged the new Czech expert report, saying he would prefer an analysis signed by renowned doctors from several universities to report by experts from the military health care faculty of the Czech Defence Ministry. The mayors of municipalities neighbouring on the military area in which the radar system is likely to be constructed said they mistrust such reassuring statements. "I don't believe it, we don't want here any Americans," Josef Vondrasek, Mayor of Tozmital pod Tremsinem, said in reaction. A vast majority of the locals oppose the U.S. base, referenda held in these municipalities showed. The American-Czech negotiations on the base are to continue until the end of the year. U.S. representatives want to hear the final position of the Czech government at the beginning of 2008. Czech Deputy Defence Minister Tomas Pojar told CTK today that the next round of the U.S.-Czech talks will be held in early September when U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for International Security, John Rood, is to arrive in Prague. Some local mayors say information from the Internet mostly admits negative influence of a radar on human health. According to them, a study issued by the U.S. Missile Defence Agency (MDA) presents different results from what Czech politicians and authorities tell them. "We have no information either confirming or refuting that health could be harmed. We won't believe it until we receive an assessment report on the risks, signed by doctors and sanitary officers," Misov Mayor Pavel Hruby said. Misov is the village nearest to the possible site of the base, being situated two kilometres from it. Navratil pointed out that the elevation angle of the radar was important. He added the angle would be at least two degrees. "In a distance, the beam will be really relatively high," he said. "The radar of course is not interested in shining down on the villages, but it will not even shine horizontally," he added. Ludek Pekarek from the National Reference Laboratory for Non-ionizing Radiation said the radar may cause a psychosomatic syndrome in some people. Pekarek said that some people might feel nervous, suffer from sleep disorders and other problems. The experts said locals should obtain as much information about the possible radar base as possible. The USA plans to station elements of its missile defence shield in Central Europe - a radar system in the Czech Republic and interceptor missiles in Poland. The Civic Democrats (ODS) of Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek support the idea of the base, while the opposition Social Democrats demand that a referendum be held on it. Majority of Czechs are against the base.
Click here to view the source article.
Source: Czech Happenings, 17 Aug 2007

PTA suggests sharing of mobile towers
Pakistan	Created: 19 Aug 2007
KARACHI: Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) appears cautioned that current pace of infrastructure and coverage expansion from the cellular companies would increase mobile towers to 30,000 by 2010, which currently stand at 1,2000 across the country, causing health and environment concerns. In a consultation paper issued to formulate infrastructure sharing policy guidelines for the cellular companies, the telecom regulator stressed for the measures, which could avoid unwanted change in the landscape. “At present, mobile companies have installed about 12,000 towers countrywide and it is safely predicted that this number will cross 30,000 in 2010,” said the PTA paper. “The prediction is based on the growth rate, market structure, competitive forces, economic conditions of the country, leftover portion of the country for service provision and 3G licensing in pipeline.” It said due to this phenomenal growth forth mentioned concerns were attracting attention for arising need of infrastructure sharing. In the course, it said, operators were encouraged initially to work out their plans and modalities to make it success. “The construction of towers is mushrooming and in near future towers population across the country will change urban and rural landscape,” added the paper. “A need is thus felt to have a framework in place guiding and promoting the sharing of communication infrastructure.” The PTA said present individualism was reflecting under-utilisation of tower sites and resources and was also a burden on the operators. There was also general public concern over effects on health and environment due to growing numbers of towers in cities towns and rural areas. “It is therefore imperative that resources are pooled and cost shared in planning and setting of BTS,” added the PTA consultation paper. The PTA said currently regulatory environment in Pakistan did not oblige the licensees to share infrastructure with their competitors. Each licensee was expected to build or lease the infrastructure it required, although the license they own allows them to share their infrastructure on commercial arrangements. “PTA, so far, has not issued any guidelines to regulate the matter. Penetration in rural areas is increasing,” said the telecom regulator. Infrastructure sharing in Europe is translated as having simply two or more operators coming together to share various parts of their network infrastructure for the purposes of their service provisioning. As the PTA paper suggests these can take numerous forms, ranging from the simplest one of sharing of space on masts and in associated buildings or sites and typically results in two or more physically separate networks; to geographic division of a market. Last month in the country three cellular companies - Ufone, Telenor and Warid - signed a memorandum of understanding facilitating operators to share their infrastructure for 10 years with mutual consent. The memorandum is the first of its kind between three leading mobile phone operators in Pakistan. “Infrastructure sharing can have a number of variants, but its ultimate objective is reduction of costs associated with setting up mobile radio network by sharing such facilities between one or more mobile operators,” added the PTA consultation paper. “In its simplest form it is the sharing of space on masts and in associated buildings or sites (sometimes referred to as “mast sharing”). In this form there are still two physically separate networks.”
Click here to view the source article.
Source: The News International, Imran Ayub, 19 Aug 2007

Richmond Activists Fight Cell Phone Antenna Installation
USA	Created: 19 Aug 2007
A fight between community activists and real estate developers partnered with a cellular phone carrier is shaping up in Point Richmond. The point of contention is a recently installed high-power cellular phone antenna array on an apartment complex on a hilltop at 260 Water Street in Point Richmond, disguised by an orange-painted flat case which is visible from far away. A group calling themselves RAP4 Richmond (Responsible Antenna Placement and Planning for Richmond), led by locals Andy Olmstead and Robin Carpenter, contends that the antenna installation is ugly and bad for the neighborhood. The property owners, Richmond real estate developers Jerry and Jan Feagley (represented by their lawyer, Kathleen McKinley) and their business partner in this venture, the T-Mobile Corporation, defend the antenna placement as unobjectionable, legally and ethically. Residents worry that having high-powered radio equipment nearby will be harmful and make their property less valuable. The 1996 Telecommunications Act blocks any legal challenges to cellular phone installations on the basis of health objections. Neighboring property owners claim that some tenants have already moved out because of the antennas, and say that the installation is a commercial use in a residential zone. RAP4 Richmond is trying to use the controversy over the antenna installation as a launching point for advocating bigger policy changes regarding cell-phone antenna placement in Richmond and throughout California. McKinley contended that although the Feagleys and T-Mobile obtained their permit for the antennas “over-the-counter” with limited public notice, the Feagleys have broken no Richmond City planning ordinances. The city’s planning department decided that the Feagleys’ permit application met the requirements for an over-the-counter permit under Richmond law and granted the permit without a public hearing. In response, RAP has gathered roughly one hundred signatures from people in the community on a petition. The group used the petition on July 31 at a Richmond City Council meeting to persuade the City to stop issuing any more over-the-counter permits for antennas for six months—essentially a moratorium on further new cell-phone antenna placements in Richmond. According to McKinley, “the Feagleys don’t have any problems with someone trying to change the way antenna installations are approved.” RAP’s petition demands that T-Mobile and the Feagleys either apply for a conditional use permit or remove the antennas. Conditional use permits allow for some flexibility within zoning laws following a public hearing. Prior to the public hearing, T-Mobile and the Feagleys would have to have an environmental study of their installation done to ensure that they are not violating the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). A proven violation of CEQA in this case could be used to block further residential antenna installations around the state. One factor that affected the City’s decision to grant the permit was the covering the Feagleys had built around the installation so that the antennas themselves were out of sight. For example, Pat Crowther, an elderly local resident who lives within view of the covered antennas, said that she was not aware for a long time after the installation that there was anything unusual about 260 Water Street: “They put [the covering] up a while ago, but I had no idea what it was.” RAP claimed that the Feagleys disguised the antennas as a solar panel covering in order to circumvent City ordinances. McKinley insisted that this is fully within the law: “The City of Richmond does not prohibit residential antennae ... they’re allowed if the antennae are enclosed.” Carpenter said she feels that the Feag-leys “use this loophole to get around any problems with safety ... if they camouflage it, they can do whatever they want there.” McKinley, on the other hand, asserted that “the RAP4 Richmond group misunderstands City ordinances.” She says that “regardless that the individuals spearheading this campaign don’t like [the installation], [the Feagleys] complied with the City’s guidelines.” Further complicating the situation are a number of personal attacks RAP4 Richmond has leveled at the Feagleys. For example, on the RAP4 Richmond website www.rap4richmond.org, the group asserted that the Feagleys “are blinded by greed and love money more than their fellow human beings.” McKinley was quick to respond that while “it’s OK to raise an issue about cell-phone tower installations, it’s not appropriate to attack fellow citizens.” On the other hand, in a letter to the City of Richmond, McKinley described the way RAP represented their health objections as “Frank-Capra-esque appeals for truth-telling and loving your neighbor” and “shamelessly maudlin and sentimental appeals to babies and the elderly.” Moreover, she said, “T-Mobile approach-ed the Feagleys.” The combative RAP4 Richmond also claimed that the Richmond planning department is, essentially, bad at its job. Said Carpenter, “I keep praying [the department is] corrupt, because it’s a shame if it’s just incompetence.” A recent internal audit of the department, called the Zucker report, has spotlighted several problems with the department. Carpenter claims that “the planning department constantly breaks its own ordinances.” McKinley said that the city planning department alone made the decision to allow the installation after the department determined that it met the requirements for an over-the-counter permit. A representative of the office of the mayor of Richmond, Gayle McLaughlin, said the mayor supports RAP 4 Richmond in their quest for a moratorium on further residential antenna placements, particularly if the community wishes for such a moratorium. Although scientists are still researching the health effects of such installations, Richmond is not the first town where residents have feared that cell-phone antenna installations are dangerous. In a similar case last year, residents of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, successfully blocked Verizon from building a cell-phone tower near a school.
Click here to view the source article.
Source: Berkeley Daily Planet, Will Allen, 17 Aug 2007

Campaigners claim 6-0 win over mast bids
United Kingdom	Created: 19 Aug 2007
Delighted campaigners today notched up another victory in their battle to stop mobile phone masts from being built near their homes. The Planning Inspectorate's decision to dismiss T-Mobile's appeal against Norwich City Council's decision to turn down plans for the mast in Colman Road is the sixth victory for families who have opposed masts where they live. The mobile phone company had wanted to install an 11.8m mast close to St Anne's Church and the Colman Area Housing Office, but the application was turned down in February in the face of objections from families. T-Mobile appealed saying the mast design reflected other street furniture in the area and there was nowhere else in the area suitable for a mast - which was needed as part of their licence conditions that they must provide coverage to 80pc of people by the end of the year. But the planning inspector dismissed the appeal, saying the mast would have been an eyesore. Campaigners said they were pleased and relieved another application had been blocked. Roy Blower, city councillor for University ward, said: “The inspector said it would be intrusive in terms of local appearance and the only way they can get it through now is if they were to go to the High Court, so hopefully this will be the end of it. “We can't fight these things on health grounds, so we have to oppose them on the visual impact, so I am chuffed that something which so many people in the community did not want has been turned down.” The Evening News, though our Put Masts On Hold Campaign, has called for a halt on new masts being put up near homes and schools until research proves the masts are safe. Are you battling a mobile phone mast application? Telephone Evening News reporter Dan Grimmer on (01603) 772375 or e-mail dan.grimmer [-at-] archant.co.uk
Click here to view the source article.
Source: Norwich Evening News, Dan Grimmer, 17 Aug 2007

Waves from microwaves, I-pods may affect health: study
India	Created: 17 Aug 2007
Kolkata : The next time you use an I-Pod, a microwave oven or a high-speed food processor, make sure you are not exposed to harmful electromagnetic radiation (EMR) that may lead to irritation, violent mood swings or sleeplessness, says a recent study. The study by Cogent EMR Solutions Ltd, a leader in the field of anti-EMR technology and a member of the Global Wellness Foundation, has found that EMR, a self-propagating wave with electric and magnetic components, poses a major threat to human health due to excessive use of electronic devices. Carried out with the help of four scientists associated with Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), it found that EMR rates in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore were much higher than the permissible limit. "Electromagnetic radiation is really hazardous for human health as it has penetration power to affect tissues," Zafar Haq, CEO OF Cogent EMR, told IANS, adding that EMR aids in changing energy circulation and behaviour of blood cells in the human body. It can cause irritation, violent mood swings, sleeplessness, lack of concentration, low sperm count and cancerous diseases, Haq said, adding that they would conduct a similar study in Kolkata next month. He said mobile phone towers were also a potential source of powerful EMR. Medical experts, however, underplayed the alarming findings, saying there was no documented evidence to prove that electronic products like mobile phones and microwaves caused health hazards. "Though EMR has some potential to penetrate human tissues, there is no documented evidence to prove mobile phones, microwave ovens or other household electronic products radiate EMR," said NRS Medical College and Hospital oncology head Subir Ganguly. Admitting the dangerous effects of EMR, Sukalyan Chattopadhyay of the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics said electromagnetic waves do damages human tissues. Chattopadhyay, who is also associated with Big Bang Theory research at CERN in Geneva, added: "Each type of human tissue has certain power to absorb frequency level and if that level exceeds, it does affect human health to a great extent." He explained that EMR is categorised into several types considering its frequency of waves. These include radio waves, microwaves, terahertz radiation, infrared radiation, visible light, ultraviolet radiation, X-rays and gamma rays. EMR carries energy and momentum that might be imparted when it interacts with other matter, he said. The Cogent EMR study for determining the effect of hazardous EMR revealed that exposure of human blood lymphocytes to continuous resonant frequency (RF) radiation of 830 MHz electromagnetic fields for 72 hrs - at temperatures ranging from 34.5 to 37.5 degrees Celsius - could lead to fatal diseases. Such RF radiation is emitted by high-speed electronic devices, including microwaves, hair driers and automatic shavers. It found that growing exposure to electric transformers that emit 50-60 hertz low level electromagnetic fields (EMF) may block melatonin, a type of natural neuro-hormone produced by the brain. It can also affect the ability of melatonin to suppress breast cancer cells from further multiplication. Melatonin helps maintain body temperature and cholesterol levels by reducing risk of coronary heart disease and chances of blood pressure. It was also observed that eight hours of radiation from a TDMA (GSM Time Division Multiple Access) cell phone could result in a 40 percent increase in ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) enzyme level, an indication for increased multiplication of cancer cells. The study further revealed EMF exposure through mobile phones may affect rapid eye movement during sleep.
Click here to view the source article.
Source: Indian Muslims, Soudhriti Bhabani, 16 Aug 2007

16 masts in 'Cancer Street'
United Kingdom	Created: 17 Aug 2007
A ROAD has been dubbed Cancer Street after five people developed the disease in the past seven years. All live in Carnarvon Road in South Woodford, east London — just 30 yards from a building with 16 phone masts on its roof. Since the masts were erected in 1995, an increasing number of residents have blamed their ill health on radiation. In February this year, Redbridge Council called in experts from the National Radiological Protection Board to investigate but scientists claimed there was no link. And they revealed the antennas would have to be 400 TIMES more powerful before they breached international guidelines. But the cancer victims of Carnarvon Road remain unconvinced. At No10 Alfreda Cousins, who was in her fifties, discovered she had breast cancer within a year of the masts being erected. She died in March this year with husband Lawrence and daughter Emma, 16, by her side. Lawrence says: “No one knows about the effects of mobile phone masts because everyone fudges it. “We can’t be sure those masts were the cause of her illness or not. The authorities say that as far as they are concerned there is no concrete proof but unless someone spends proper money on a decent study, we’re not going to find out. “My wife was concentrating on fighting breast cancer and was getting better but then the cancer moved to her liver. “It was about then we realised other people living in the street also had cancer and we heard the neighbours talking about all these mobile phone masts. “No more phone masts should be put up until we know they are safe.” Retired art teacher Constance Nash, who lives at No12, developed breast cancer last year. Constance, 81, says: “When I came here there was no talk of anybody having cancer but levels of radiation here are higher than normal. “The scientists who did the study and decided we weren’t at risk were funded by the Government and the mast providers, so in my view it wasn’t impartial. “I’m not convinced by their report at all. I’ve read other studies that conclude there are clusters of cancer cases where there are masts. Is it all just a big coincidence?” At another house, a 52-year-old woman, who does not want to be named, discovered she had breast cancer seven years ago. She says: “I’m not sure these masts caused my cancer but I feel we need to know if they are to blame. “There is lots of evidence that says this type of radiation could be a factor. Until we know more they shouldn’t be put up in residential areas.” Next door, a 49-year-old teacher, who also wanted to remain anonymous, found out she had thyroid cancer in 1998. She has been successfully treated but her husband says: “I don’t think they should be installing these masts in residential areas. “I accept mobile phones are a fact of life but nobody knows if they’re harmful. “It seems too much of a coincidence that we have five people living in the same road near 16 mobile phone masts.” Pensioner James Parish, who lives at No20, was diagnosed with bowel cancer five years ago. The 73-year-old is now recovering after an operation. His wife Beryl said: “I’m not concerned for me or my husband but there are young children in the road. "They’re the ones I worry about. We need to know if the masts are dangerous. At the moment they’re like mushrooms — they keep sprouting up everywhere. “We started with four mobile phone masts and now we’ve got 16. You don’t know how many there will be in five years time.” Dr Michael Clark, who led the £3,250 NRPB investigation, said in his report: “There is no general risk to the health of people living near to base stations. “We do measurements of this kind all over the country and the levels we find are typically between 1,000 and 10,000 times below international safety guidelines. “And that is something that we are finding in this street. UK guidelines allow microwave radiation of 41 volts per metre for masts broadcasting on 900megahertz or 58 for 1,800MHz. Dr Clark added: “Unfortunately one in three people get cancer in their lives and you can get clusters for no particular reason. “There are a lot of houses in this particular street. What may seem like a cluster could be down to nothing more than chance.” The NRPB studied more than 100 masts across the UK in 2000 and gave them the all-clear, concluding that levels of radiation were within safety limits. ------------------------------- Case of Gainsborough LOCALS are fighting to tear down a mobile phone mast near the homes of four people who have died of cancer and six others who are fighting for their lives. Mobile operator Orange built the 45ft mast on top of a former water tower on a hill overlooking The Avenue in Gainsborough, Lincs, in 1995. Campaigners who want to get rid of it took delivery yesterday of a special meter to measure radiation levels in the area. Tom Tait, a local councillor who is leading the protest, said: “I’m very concerned about the health risks surrounding this mast as there is a cluster of people with cancer around it. “It just seems too much of a coincidence. “What makes me angry is that the planning application for the mast was originally turned down but it was granted on appeal. No one knows what the long term effects are. I am determined not to let this issue just get buried.” The killer disease in The Avenue struck Philip Logan, 73, who died of stomach cancer in 1997, Bill Ward, 75, who had tumours in his arm and kidneys in 1998, Sadie Cowpe, 61, who died from ovarian cancer in 1999 and Lilian Kirkland, 87, who died of carcinomoatosis in 1999. Sadie’s husband Eric Cowpe, 74, said: “I’ll never be able to say whether the mast contributed to my wife’s cancer but it’s at the back of your mind. It seems too concentrated for four people to have cancer within a few houses.” Jessie Ward, 71, of The Avenue, who is being treated for melanoma, added: “I live right opposite it and I am sure it can’t be doing any of us any good. I have told my consultants but they can’t say one way or another if it is causing my cancer. “I think they should tear it down but nothing is being done. We have been forgotten.” Ted Bestwick, 79, of nearby Becket Avenue, who is fighting leukaemia, said: “I have to be on medication and go for monthly check-ups for the cancer. I am at an age where you expect things to start going wrong with you but it is the kids I really worry for. It is worrying with that mast up there.” Other people have been suffering various types of the disease. Retired driving instructor Pat Booth, 67, is fighting breast cancer and Nora Goland, 80, had a mastectomy in 1997 but still needs regular check-ups. Karen Bee, 32, had a stem cell transplant five years ago for myeloid leukaemia and is now in remission. Ryan Petch, 11, is in remission after treatment for Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Physicist Dr Gerard Hyland, an associate fellow at Warwick University, said: “This is a very high incidence indeed. I am extremely concerned about telephone masts. For certain people they can be potentially very harmful to their health. It depends on their robustness and stress levels as well”. West Lindsey District Council said: “Further research is going on but at the moment the council doesn’t draw a link between mobile telephone masts and health.” An Orange spokesman said: “We acknowledge public concern regarding the sighting of transmitters. “However there is no conclusive evidence that links exposure to radio waves and transmitter masts to long term public health risks.” --------------------------- Case of Dagenham DESPERATE mum Ann Morgan fears for her children’s safety — because she lives near 13 mobile phone masts. Ann, 40, lives in the shadow of a 230ft monstrosity in the grounds of the Dagenham and Redbridge Football Club. And a gym just 50 yards away has 12 masts on its roof — with more planned. Ann, who lives with husband John, 48, and daughters Bobbie-Ann, nine, and five-year-old Rosie-Ann in Dagenham, Essex, says: “My girls have been suffering headaches and sickness ever since this eyesore went up two years ago. They never suffered from that before. “The base station is just three yards away from our garden. It is absolutely horrific. “I’m frightened for my children’s safety as there are 12 mobile phone masts on the gym down the road. “That puts us in the middle of 13 mobile phone masts, which must surely increase the amount of radiation.” Councillors have ordered the base mast be pulled down but Vodafone have made an appeal to the Secretary of State. Ann, who has lived in her home for 28 years, has written to Tony Blair complaining about the mast — and more than 300 locals have signed a petition to get it pulled down. Neighbour Pat Palfreman, 54, says: “It all just boils down to money. “We feel very strongly about this and will fight as much as we have to.” -------------------------------- Case of Beckenham BILL star Eric Richard has vowed to help fight the installation of mobile phone masts after seeing off plans to build one on his local church. Eric, who played TV’s Sergeant Bob Cryer for 17 years, was horrified when he found out a mobile phone transmitter was to be placed on the roof of St Barnabas Church. He and fellow residents in Beckenham, Kent, were outraged that Reverend Peter Marr had agreed to erect a fibreglass mast. St Barnabas Church is next to Clare House Primary School and parents were concerned over health fears. Six regular parishioners left the vicar’s flock in protest. But after locals launched a campaign against the proposals, the Rev Marr backed down. Eric, 62, was furious at the scheme designed to boost the church funds. He said: “I couldn’t believe what was being proposed. It is a scandal to risk children’s lives. Money should not override their health. “Although we have won our campaign, I am willing to help others if I can do anything positive. They can take heart from what we have achieved. “I would like to think other communities will be inspired by our success. This is an issue affecting many people. It’s not a not-in-my-backyard situation. “I’m not a Christian and I don’t belong to any organised religious group. But I think that selling the symbol of Christianity, of God on Earth, is the height of hypocrisy, immorality and obscenity.” Eric, who has a nine-year-old son and four-year-old daughter, added: “The vicar said the church believed the project was safe but the Government wouldn’t be spending millions researching the effects of radiation if that was so. “As there is doubt about the safety of aerials, serious thought should be given to where they go. Next to a school, or close to where people live, are not the most ideal places.” Rev Marr refused to disclose how much the church would have received if the mast had gone ahead. But many churches have been paid up to £10,000. -------------------------------- Argument FOR, By MIKE DOLAN Director Mobile Telecoms Advisory Group. SOME 46million of us use mobile phones – they are the great communication success story of our time. Whether it is to call emergency services, do our jobs, or run our busy social lives it is hard to think of life without mobiles. Without enough masts in the right locations mobiles will not work and there is nothing more frustrating than to have a conversation stop mid-sentence or to be unable to connect to the network. This is why the operators are working to upgrade their networks to meet customer demand. Mobiles save lives – look at the recent case of the British backpackers lost in Australia’s Blue Mountains. Without a mobile they might have died. Mobiles provide personal security – thousands of parents have peace of mind knowing their children can contact them easily. But questions have been raised about the safety of mobiles and base stations. Do they cause adverse health effects? The World Health Organisation has a team of scientists which co-ordinates worldwide research on mobile safety. There are ongoing research programmes in many countries, including the UK. All of this research is reviewed from time to time by independent scientists, often commissioned by government health authorities. This happened in the UK in 2000 when the report of the independent expert group on mobile phones was published. Chaired by former chief government scientific advisor Sir William Stewart, the group concluded that exposure to radio waves below levels set out in international guidelines do not cause health problems for the general population. All mobile phones and base stations in the UK operate within the international exposure guidelines recommended by the Stewart Report. Typical base station radio wave exposures are thousands of times below the guidelines. This was demonstrated by an independent audit last year by the Radiocommunications Agency. The results have been published on the RA website www.radio.gov.uk. The mobile phone industry and the Government are jointly funding a £7.4million research programme which is managed by an independent group of scientists chaired by Sir William Stewart. Mobile operators have responded to public concern about base stations by publishing Ten Commitments to best siting practice. These emphasise early consultation with local councils and people who may be affected by the proposed development. The commitments have been operating for almost a year and are supported by the Local Government Association and groups such as Mast Action UK. They give local people an early say in the siting process. This is democracy at work. --------------------------------- Argument AGAINST, By FRANK FIELD MP for Birkenhead MOBILE phone companies ride roughshod over local protests against masts in densely populated areas, including near school playgrounds. If companies’ fail to site a mast where they wish then these new medieval barons appeal and appeal until they have trampled local opposition. To even up the fight I have introduced a Bill into the House of Commons. Its aim is to give local objectors a better deal when they take on the global giants. Make no mistake, they are mega companies and cannot accept no for an answer. What has happened in my constituency of Birkenhead is sadly typical. A planning application to site a phone mast on the town’s listed water tower was refused. Immediately the company banged in an appeal. Then to add insult to injury another company began sniffing around the site. The Bill allows companies to apply to site a mast anywhere. If, however, the applicant is refused by the local planning committee on two occasions, the company or another similar company cannot put in a new application during the next three years. The Bill aims to strike a fair balance. People want to use mobile phones – I certainly do – but some regard must be paid to local protests. Working alongside local residents I know what a huge effort it takes to mount an effective objection. On the one side is a mega company with unlimited cash to spend. On the other are protesters who have no corporate cash and no office. It is a modern David and Goliath. Our local battles were not just over defacing a listed building. Parents were also concerned about the effect of mobile phone masts on children’s health. The official report concluded that the jury was still out. There was no evidence that masts were a health hazard, but nor could the report say there were no health worries. As soon as I introduced the Bill to the Commons I realised what we were up against in Birkenhead was replicated around the country. In poured the letters telling much the same tale. Companies would appeal and if they failed at this stage they would simply fire off a new application. Time is running out for Private Members’ Bills this session. With this in mind I have been trying to persuade the Government to adopt the phone mast Bill. And if the Government resists I will try again to get the Bill through next session. A fair balance must be struck between the power of gung-ho multi-national phone companies who are used to doing whatever they like and ordinary citizens who have to live with their decisions.
Click here to view the source article.
Source: The Sun, 15 Aug 2007

Cell phone tower worries Nature Center
USA	Created: 17 Aug 2007
ANSONIA — The staff of the Ansonia Nature Center is concerned about the possible construction of a cell phone tower near the nature park. Six members of the staff, including Nature Center Director Donna Lindgren, sent a letter to the Connecticut Siting Council on Monday to offer their concerns on plans by Optasite Towers of Westborough, Mass., to build a 180-foot monopole tower on a horse farm off Deerfield Lane. Nature center staffers fear the tower may pose a threat to birds that fly near the center, which also serves as an animal rehabilitation center. "We are well aware of the convenience which cell phones provide to consumers but we strongly argue that their associated towers are not worth the toll that they inflict on wildlife, and especially in sensitive areas like this one," the letter reads. The letter also mentions that a pair of northern goshawks has raised a family in the woodlands of the nature center. "We ask you to carefully consider whether we really need another tower at this sensitive location," the letter concludes. Optasite officials said the tower would be used by cell phone service provider T-Mobile and would allow for access by other wireless phone companies and emergency response teams. Optasite is petitioning for a certificate of public compatibility to build the tower. Mayor Jim Della Volpe said he understands the nature center's worries, but he'd like to have the tower to provide better emergency coverage in the city's hilltop section off Pulaski Highway. Della Volpe said communications are poor in the area, and with three city schools — Ansonia High School, Mead Elementary School and Prendergast Elementary School — in the vicinity, he'd like something to improve matters. State-run Emmett O'Brien Technical High School is also in the area. "My worry is the safety of the schools. That's why I'd support a new tower there," Della Volpe said. "[The nature center has] a legitimate concern, but with three schools on the hilltop, their safety is important." The siting council will accept more comments about the tower during a public hearing on Sept. 18 at City Hall. Siting council members will visit the proposed tower site at 2 p.m. and open a hearing to discuss the project at 3 p.m. A public comment period will begin at 7 p.m.
Click here to view the source article.
Source: Connecticut Post, MELVIN MASON, 16 Aug 2007

Fair Lawn resident to protest cell phone tower
USA	Created: 17 Aug 2007
FAIR LAWN - A crowd of residents gathered in front of a borough VFW Wednesday night to protest a plan to install a 62-foot cell phone tower - disguised as a flagpole - on the hall's front lawn. Carrying signs that read: "Not in our neighborhood," more than 100 residents of the Morlot Avenue community came out against the proposal, which has been the subject of several contentious hearings during the last year. Omnipoint Communication, also known as T-Mobile, is asking for a use variance to build the proposed tower, which would be hidden inside a flagpole at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 281. Zoning in the residential neighborhood calls for a maximum building height of 30 feet. The telecommunications company is arguing that the tower would improve cell service in the area. But residents have called it an eyesore that will drive down property values in the neighborhood, which already contains the Fair Lawn water tower. The proposed cell phone tower would be more than two and a half times bigger than the existing 24-foot flagpole that stands in front of the hall. "This is a residential neighborhood, not an auto dealership," said Michael Reinheimer, who has lived on Karl Street for 35 years. "It's totally out of character with the neighborhood." Mark Kleinerman, who lives across the street from the VFW, was concerned about the bright lights that would emanate from the flag at night. "Not only does it have to be lit by law, a flag that size is going to make a lot of noise when it's flapping in the wind and it is just wrong to use the flag for a commercial purpose," said Kleinerman, who wore a large sign that read: "Not here, find a different location." Irving Sklaver, who has lived on Morlot Avenue for 48 years, said it already takes him 10 minutes to back out of his driveway due to heavy traffic from nearby Route 208 and the neighborhood's two schools - Thomas Jefferson Middle School and the Milnes Elementary School. "The street is not wide enough for something that big and it could cause car accidents," he said. Myrna Beck, who lives on nearby Estler Court, said neighbors already deal with parking and excessive noise issues every time the VFW hosts private parties. "We have tried to be good neighbors and not complain about the inconveniences and petty annoyances imposed by the VFW, but enough is enough," Beck said. "A flagpole and flag of that size would be appropriate for a large government building on a large piece of property, not on a local street in a town like Fair Lawn," she said. Residents have been distributing flyers and crowding into borough meetings to voice their concerns about the cell tower for close to a year. They organized a protest to raise awareness of the issue before a Board of Adjustment meeting next month.
Click here to view the source article.
Source: NorthJersey.com, GIOVANNA FABIANO, 16 Aug 2007

Third time lucky for anti-mast group
United Kingdom	Created: 17 Aug 2007
Residents in Rickman Hill, Coulsdon, are set to oppose the installation of a mobile phone mast in their road - for the third time in nine months. Two previous applications for the eight-metre mast and antenna were withdrawn by mobile phone giant Orange after residents voiced their disapproval. However, they have submitted proposals for a third time. Richard Shore, a member of the Coulsdon West Residents' Association, said: "People opposed it in the past and the residents' association put in objections and I believe we will be putting in another one as it is very near a park used by children." Martin Grey, from Orange, said: "Orange has historically provided mobile network coverage to the area via a radio base station at Cane Hill Hospital. "As a result of the redevelopment of the site, we are seeking alternative solutions to maintain network coverage. "We have sought at every stage to address their requirements of the planning authority, culminating in the sub- mission of the new application, which meets national planning policy by using a design specifically chosen to minimise visual intrusion." Orange has also tabled an appeal against the council's decision to refuse permission for two flagpole antenna and one pole-mounted antenna on the roof of the TA Centre in Marlpit Lane. A similar application was also denied last year, although there are already several of the flag pole antennas on the building.
Click here to view the source article.
Source: Croydon Guardian, 16 Aug 2007

«First  ‹Previous   Page 246 of 247   Next›  Last»