Hi All  The folks in PEI need our help.  I will send research info, please assist.  Martin

From: Gary Waterman
Feb. 4, 2002

URGENT ACTION:
ROGERS WIRELESS INC. IS PLANNING TO BUILD 18 CELL PHONE TOWER/TRANSMITTERS ACROSS PEI.

Take action now to spread the word and voice your concerns. See the bottom 
of this email to find out what you can do, and who you can voice your concerns to.


Rogers Wireless Inc. is planning to build a 110m (357.5ft) tall 
tower/transmitter on the Lewes Rd, in Caledonia, PEI. There are also plans 
for 17 other cell phone towers in locations across PEI. Known locations are 
Tignish, O'Leary, Summerside, Cavendish, Charlottetown, Bonshaw, 
Borden-Carleton, St. Peters West, Souris, and Caledonia. 8 other locations are unknown.
Community members have concerns...

Will there be a tower located in your community, near your home?

ARE YOU AWARE?

Rogers Wireless Inc. has purchased land in Caledonia, PEI, with the 
approval of the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission (IRAC), to 
construct a cell phone tower. There are currently 17 other sites across PEI 
slated for towers. These land purchases are essentially done in secret, 
with no public consultation by either the government or the company 
involved. If cell towers are so safe and innocuous, why all the secrecy?

HEALTH CONCERNS

Cell phones and their transmission towers emit Radio-Frequency Radiation 
(RFR); it's how they work. This RFR is in the form of Electro-Magnetic (EM) 
waves, which create an EM field around cell phones and towers. Generally, 
this field's intensity decreases with distance. Due to proximity, the 
exposure to RFR is greater with the phones than towers. With a phone there 
is a choice and exposure is only as long as the call being made. With a 
tower in your community there is no choice; exposure will occur as long as 
one or more channels are in use.

As the EM waves pass through the human body a portion of their energy is 
absorbed by tissues and cells. The effects of this are poorly understood. 
Thermal effects occur when the body temperature of an organism (or part of 
an organism) exposed to RFR is significantly increased. Non-thermal 
effects occur when the intensity of the RF field is sufficiently low that 
the amount of energy involved does not significantly increase the 
temperature of a cell, tissue or an organism, yet some physical or 
biochemical change is induced.

The Canadian guidelines for exposure limits to RFR (Safety Code 6) was 
established based only on the thermal effects of RFR. It ignores documented 
non-thermal effects due to a lack of consensus in the scientific community. 
In a report by the Royal Society of Canada for Health Canada, it is stated 
"there are documented biological effects of RF fields even at low, 
non-thermal exposure levels, below Safety Code 6 exposure limits... Some of 
these effects brought about by non-thermal exposure levels could 
potentially be associated with adverse health effects...It is difficult to 
establish safety limits for non-thermal exposures." Yet, despite this, 
non-thermal effects are not considered for inclusion with Safety Code 6.

If there isn't enough evidence to prove negative health effects at 
non-thermal levels, there is enough evidence (the list is long with effects 
ranging from sleeping disorders to cancer) to warrant concern and 
precaution. The public should not have to prove low intensity RFR unsafe 
before precautionary steps are taken. It is the cellular phone companies 
who should be required to explicitly prove their safety beyond a reasonable 
doubt. Island Tel already has a cellular network on PEI, so why should we 
risk our health and well being for increased competition, convenience and efficiency?

AESTHETICS / TOURISM / PROPERTY VALUE

How would you feel if a tower were to be erected next to your home? Many 
people have chosen Caledonia, and other communities across PEI, for their 
serenity and as an excellent environment to raise families. The proposed 
tower in Caledonia is 110m (over 350ft!). A tower of this magnitude will 
certainly be a blemish on our rural countryside. Imagine seeing a 350ft 
tower every time you look out the window. Regulations require the tower to 
be only 15ft from the neighbor's property line. If the tower were to fall, 
it could pose a threat to nearby homes, let alone the fact that it would be 
there every time you look up. The tower and its bright red lights would 
ruin the night sky, as well as sunsets and sunrises on the horizon. The 
lights would also shine in through the windows of nearby homes. PEI Tourism 
promotes, and depends upon, scenic rural settings where one can escape 
exactly this sort of monstrosity. It is also highly probable that property 
values will decrease within the vicinity of this and other towers, as no 
one wants to live beside a transmission tower.

OUR DEMANDS

- A moratorium on transmission towers until there is community involvement: 
it must be mandatory that communities are informed and consulted when 
siting cell towers (and other such things which have a
large, lasting impact on their surroundings).

- An independent study into potential health effects, community effects, 
necessity and benefit of these towers and RFR.

- Health Canada must reevaluate Safety Code 6, this time using the 
precautionary principle and accounting for the possibility of negative 
health effects of non-thermal exposure levels.

- Wireless companies must explore alternatives, such as already existing 
satellite technology and/or existing towers.

- The residents of PEI must be immediately informed of present and future 
sites of proposed towers.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

-FIND OUT MORE:
<http://www.wave-guide.org> 
<http://www.emfguru.com/EMF/genotoxic/Genotoxic-EMR-paper.htm> 
<http://www.electric-words.com/cell/radiation/adelaide.html> 
<http://www.nzine.co.nz/thesis.html> 
<http://www.sbs.com.au/insight/p8t1.html> 
<http://www.land-sbg.gv.at/celltower/english/proceedings-content.pdf> 
<http://www.euronet.be/claude.herion/salburg.htm> 
<http://www.iegmp.org.uk/> 
<http://www.who.int/peh-emf/> 
<http://www.rsc.ca/english/RFreport.html> 

-Spread this information to neighbors, family, friends, and co-workers.

-Copy and distribute the pamphlet (contact us for a copy).

-Keep your eyes open for survey stakes in your community.

-EXPRESS YOUR CONCERNS; write and/or phone contacts below.

Premier Pat Binns 902-368-4400, Fax 902-368-4416
<pgbinns@gov.pe.ca>  P.O. Box 338, Charlottetown, P.E.I., C1A 7K7

The Eastern Graphic <eastgraphic@islandpress.pe.ca> 
Fax 902-838-4392, PO Box 790, Montague, PEI, C0A 1R0

The Guardian <letters@chg.southam.ca> 
Fax 902-566-3808, PO Box 760, Charlottetown, PEI, C1A 4R7

The Journal-Pioneer <dshea@itas.net> 
Fax 902-436-0784, PO Box 2480, Summerside, PEI, C1N 4K5

CBC Radio Island Morning Talkback - 629-6414, 1 (800) 680-1898

CBC Radio Maritme Noon Talkback - 1 800 565 5463

Wilbur Macdonald, MLA 368-5175

Lawrence MacAulay, MP 838-4139, Fax - 838-3790 <macaulay.l@parl.gc.ca> 

Joe McGuire, MP 1-800-224-0018, Fax - 436-0175 <mcguij@parl.gc.ca> 

Shawn Murphy, MP 566-7770, Fax - 566-7780 <Murphy.S@parl.gc.ca> 

Wayne Easter, MP 1-800-442-4050, Fax - 964-3242 <easterw@parl.gc.ca> 

MPs can be reached by mail at:
House of Commons, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0A6 (no stamp needed)

-HEALTH CANADA
Population and Public
Health Branch (Can) (Bil)..............................902 566-7857
Health Environments and consumer Safety Branch
Product Safety (Can) (Bil).............................506 851-6638

For more information, to get involved, or for copies of our pamphlet, contact:
Gary Waterman: 902-962-2294 <waterman@pei.sympatico.ca> 
Geoff Genge: 902-962-3103 <genge@pei.sympatico.ca>