Long-term RF study on animals starts amid exposure limits debate
by BY JEFFREY SILVA
* May 05, 2003

WASHINGTON-Controversy has erupted in efforts to bring radio-frequency
radiation exposure guidelines in line with a global standard, a change a
leading scientist claims would make America's mobile-phone safety limit
the weakest in the world.

The debate is playing out in a committee of the Institute for Electrical
and Electronics Engineers, which is working on revisions to the current
RF standard for mobile phones and base stations.

Much of the world adheres to the RF standard of the International
Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection. The ICNIRP standard,
based on a specific absorption rate of 2 watts per kilogram averaged
over 10 grams of body tissue, takes into account the largely
cartilage-comprised outer ear, or pinna, in terms of radiation exposure.

The IEEE, whose current standard is based on 1.6 watts per kilogram
averaged over one gram of human tissue, wants to exclude the ear from
consideration in the new RF standard. Thus, the ear would be subject to
a looser radiation safety limit otherwise reserved for hands, wrists,
forearms, feet, ankles and lower legs.

"By relaxing the SAR limit for the pinna ... we would abandon the
harmonization with the ICNIRP standard for cellular telephones and thus
create the most lax RF standard in the world for these globally used
devices," said Dr. Om Gandhi, of the University of Utah, in a March 28
letter to Richard Tell, chair of IEEE's Risk Assessment Working Group.

"The ramification for this major departure from ICNIRP guidelines for
handheld cellular telephones," continued Gandhi, "can be substantial
when one realizes that the ICNIRP guideline has been adopted not only in
Europe, but also in Asia, Australia, and elsewhere."

In a March 15 letter to Gandhi, Tell pointed out that IEEE members are
near unanimous in supporting a less stringent radiation safety limit for
the ear and that mobile phones increasingly do not reach their maximum
radiated power anyway.

"As a matter of fact, the trend has been to reduce the transmit power as
the technology has evolved," said Tell.

Whether that trend will hold as wireless carriers roll out
next-generation color phones-fueled by high-speed processors to handle
data-intensive content-is unclear.

All health lawsuits brought against industry to date have been dismissed
for lack of scientific evidence.

Federal health and safety officials plan to travel to North Carolina
later this month for a briefing by National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences officials on a $10 million long-term animal study-the
largest of its kind in the United States-that is being developed in
Research Triangle Park, N.C.

The National Toxicology Program, a unit of NIEHS selected by the Food
and Drug Administration for the project, will investigate the
controversial issue of non-thermal effects that some studies attribute
to mobile-phone radiation.

"The existing exposure guidelines are based on protection from acute
injury from thermal effects for RFR exposure. Current data are
insufficient to draw definite conclusions concerning the adequacy of
these guidelines to be protective against any non-thermal effects of
chronic exposures," states a fact sheet published by the NTP in March.

The Environmental Protection Agency has embraced the same position on
the RF standard.

The wireless industry downplayed the NTP document and challenged the
notion that radiation safety guidelines may not give the nation's 140
million mobile-phone subscribers adequate protection.

"The statement by NTP is virtually unchanged from the statement they
issued last year in the 2002 NTP Fact Sheet," said Jo-Anne Basile, vice
president for external and industry relations at the Cellular
Telecommunications & Internet Association. "The standards-setting bodies
in the United States as well as those in other parts of the world are
continually reviewing the latest research to determine if any changes
are required," added Basile. "They have recommended no additional
protective measures beyond the substantial measure of safety already
built in to the current standard. The FDA, the Federal Communications
Commission, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health,
the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the EPA, as well
as expert scientific panels around the world, have been consistent in
their view that the existing federal guidelines are sufficient to
protect the public health. CTIA and the wireless industry globally have
always supported sound, independent and well-focused research.
Additional focused research provides public health agencies more data
upon which to base standards, public policy and guidelines to protect
the public's health."

Last month, EMR Network President Janet Newton and Jeff Munger, in-state
legislative liaison to Sen. James Jeffords (I-Vt.), met with FCC
Commissioner Michael Copps to seek FCC action on a 2001 petition that
states the current RF standard is dated and does not reflect results of
newer studies-including those showing non-thermal effects.

Dr. Ronald Melnick, head of the RF research program at NTP, said the
animal study could help clarify the non-thermal effects question. "I'm
not predicting that we will find something or that we will not find
something," said Melnick. Melnick said equipment alone will cost $1.5
million to $2 million. The remaining $8 million will cover the
administration of lifetime animal studies. Requests for proposals for
the latter will go out this fall, he said.

and

FYI, this is in response to the case we are litigating on behalf to
Friends of the Earth, Forest Conservation Council, and American Bird
Conservancy.

--Ron Shems

Ronald A. Shems
Shems Dunkiel & Kassel PLLC
87 College Street
Burlington, Vermont 05401
(802) 860 1003 (voice)
(802) 860 1208 (facsimile)
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/world/5765288.htm?template=
contentModules/printstory.jsp

FCC eyes cell tower impact on birds

The FCC will study and police how the growing number of cell phone and
broadcast towers affects migratory birds, millions of which are killed
each year when they run into the towers.
Posted on Thu, May. 01, 2003
FCC to Study Impact of Cell Phone Towers
DAVID HO
Associated Press
WASHINGTON -Federal regulators launched a broad effort Thursday to study
and police how the growing number of cell phone and broadcast towers
sprouting across the country affects historic sites, Indian land and the
environment.

Federal Communications Commission Michael Powell said his agency will
work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to study why migratory
birds fly into towers. An estimated 5 million to 50 million birds die in
such accidents each year, according to Fish and Wildlife. "I know
there's a problem, and towers are one of the possible causes," Powell
said. "We don't know exactly how or why." Researchers suspect that
lights on the towers attract the birds. Powell said more research is
needed to understand the problem and the role of lights and tower height
and design. Powell said the new plan is the FCC's first comprehensive
effort to protect the environment and historical sites while speeding
the installation of communications equipment. The FCC intends to hire
more staff, improve cooperation with industry, toughen enforcement of
environmental rules and possibly change regulations.

The cell phone industry expressed concern. "Dead spots and dropped calls
can only be eliminated by new cell sites," said Tom Wheeler, president
of the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association. "Government
actions that delay or complicate the process of building a more robust
network for our consumers are particularly unhelpful."

Powell said the FCC also would work to ensure that American Indian
tribes are consulted when towers are proposed for sites that might have
historic, cultural or religious significance. There are more than
100,000 communications towers in the United States, including antennas
for cell phone signals and television and radio broadcasts, according to
the FCC. The vast majority of those towers are taller than 200 feet and
have lights to prevent aircraft collisions.

Several environmental groups are suing the FCC over communications
towers near the Gulf of Mexico, where many birds stop during spring and
fall migrations. The groups want the FCC to review the danger to birds
before towers go up and keep birds away from existing towers with
devices like noisemaking machines.

Al Manville, a biologist with Fish and Wildlife, said the FCC effort is
a good start and that "we need to look at the bigger picture - the
effects of towers on things like wetlands and fisheries and birds." Fish
and Wildlife Service background on the issue is online at
http://migratorybirds.fws.gov/issues/towers/towers.htm

ENVIRONMENTAL AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION ACTION PLAN - STATEMENT BY
FCC CHAIRMAN MICHAEL K. POWELL. News Release. News Media Contact:
Meribeth McCarrick at (202)
418-0654 or David Fiske at (202) 418-0513 OCH

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Meribeth McCarrick (202) 418-0654
May 1, 2003
David Fiske (202) 418-0513

ENVIROMENTAL AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION ACTION PLAN
Statement by FCC Chairman Michael K. Powell

In recognition of the importance of deploying communications services
consistent with the mandates of National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (NEPA) and the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA), I
have asked Commission staff to develop the agencys first comprehensive
strategic plan to improve our ability to protect valuable historic and
environmental resources, while at the same time accelerating the process
of deploying necessary communications infrastructure. One of the
Commissions critical responsibilities is to manage the expansion of
communications infrastructure in a way that best preserves our Nations
environmental and historic resources. Additional communications towers
and other infrastructure improvements are critical to the rapid
deployment to the American public of ubiquitous, advanced, and
competitive communications services, as well as for public safety and
homeland security. Although the Commissions statutory obligations are
longstanding, I have recently concluded that the expanding need for
telecommunications infrastructure requires the Commission to take a more
proactive approach to these issues.

As part of this action plan, I intend to work with my colleagues to: (1)
initiate a series of proceedings designed to enhance our expertise in
environmental and historic matters and modify our rules as necessary;
(2) work with the industry and government to develop more efficient and
effective communication; (3) examine our processes for streamlining
opportunities; and (4) enforce the rules swiftly and effectively to
create incentives for parties to follow the required processes before
construction. This plan highlights the Commissions commitment to carry
out its responsibility for communications deployment, environmental
protection, and historic preservation.

The Federal Communications Commission has specific responsibilities
pursuant to NEPA , NHPA, and other related statutes to evaluate the
impact of its actions on the quality of the human environment. These
responsibilities most prominently come into play regarding the
construction of communications towers and their impact on the
environment and historic sites, including Indian historic, cultural, or
religious sites.

I look forward to working with my fellow Commissioners, Tribal
governments, State and Local goverment organizations, and my
counterparts at other Federal agencies to implement these important
initiatives.
- FCC -

http://www.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Digest/2003/dd030501.html

Informant: Janet Newton at EMRNetwork

"Bad reception" - a victory case

After Don Maisch's recommendation, I ordered the movie "Bad Reception",
about a community struggle (and victory!) against Sprint company who
wanted to erect cellular antennas.

The common sense of the people managed to win while not even building on
the health argument. Sprint cellular company lose it when it has to
deal with FACTS. The representative just didn't do homework as good as
the citizens, and the community showed who's the boss here.

Recommended for fighting communities, most of them have this winning
detail in common.

To buy the movie, contact Doug Loranger, E mail: loranger@california.com

Informant: Iris Atzmon

Objective: To evaluate the influence of electromagnetic waves (EMW)
caused by mobile phones on sperm motility

Summary

Methods:

13 men with a normal spermiogramm regarding the WHO criteria were
included in our study. After a GSM-mobile phone was not carried or used
during 5 days a first spermiogram was analysed. Four weeks later, a
second spermiogram was performed. Five days before this second
spermiogram, men carried the mobile phone on the belt and used it 6
hours a day intensively. Spermiogram parameters of the first and second
spermiogram were compared.

Results:

Rapid progressive spermatozoa were reduced significantly in the second
spermiogram compared to the first. Decrease was from (mean) 32.3 % (SD ±
6.13) to (mean) 26.1 % (SD ± 6.5), p = 0.0004. In addition there was a
shift to an increase of progressive spermatozoa from mean 24.8 % (SD ±
3.62) to 29.7 % (SD ± 6.11), p = 0.01. All other spermiogramm parameters
like semen volume, density and morphology did not differ significantly.

Conclusion:

Our data suggest a decreased motility of rapid progressive spermatozoa
caused by electromagnetic waves of GSM-mobile phones. These findings may
have an impact in counselling subfertile men.

Source: M. Davoudi, C. Brössner, W. Kuber: Der Einfluß
elektromagnetischer Felder von Mobiltelefonen auf die
Beweglichkeit von Samenzellen, J Urol Urogynäkol 2002; 9 (3): 18-22

http://216.239.53.104/search?q=cache:ZconWdnClJcC:149.148.224.4/kup/pdf/
1181.pdf+M.+Davoudi,+C.+Br%C3%B6ssner,+W.+Kuber&hl=de&ie=UTF-8

Informant: Reinhard Rückemann

Chernobyl bio-disater is a myth says two Irish professors of applied
physics and medical physics!

Hi Klaus: The following letter appeared in yesterday's (Tuesday, May 6,
2003)edition of THE IRISH TIMES. One of the writers--Dr.Philip Walton,
Professor of Applied Physics--is a well-known critic of research which
indicates adverse bio-effects from radiation. Last entry of his five
teaching interests (listed online) at NUI (National University of
Ireland), Galway, is an "Annual Radiation Safety Course" and he has
noted among his research interests "interested in and advice on ionizing
and non-ionizing radiation safety." Professor Walton's late father was
the Irish 1951 Nobel prize-winning physicist, Dr. E.T.S. Walton, in
whose honour a prestigous "Walton Visitor Awards" in research funds for
visiting overseas researchers was established in NUI, Galway.

Yesterday's letter reads as follows:

"EFFECTS OF CHERNOBYL DISASTER

Madam, - We would like to respond to a report on the effects of
Chernobyl in your edition of April 26th by bringing to people's
attention the best scientific evidence on the subject.

Probably the most authoritative source of information on the health
effects of the Chernobyl accident is the 2000 Report of the United
Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation
(UNSCEAR) which was presented to the UN General Assembly on June 6th,
2000. The accompanying press release stated: 'There have been about
1,800 cases of thyroid cancer in children who were exposed at the time
of the accident,
and if the current trend continues there may be more cases during the
next decades. Apart from this increase, there is no evidence of a major
public health impact attributable to radiation exposure 14
years after the accident. There is no scientific evidence of increases
in overall cancer incidence or mortality or in non-malignant disorders
that could be related to radiation exposure.'

In addition it should be noted that the recovery workers, of whom there
were about 380,000, received very much larger exposures than the local
population. Also the thyroid cancers are very treatable so that there
have only been a handful of deaths among the 1,800 cases.

It is also worth noting that, despite common perception, UNSCEAR does
not report any increase in birth defects that could be attributed to
radiation. It is of interest to note that such cases were also not
observed among the Japanese atomic bomb survivors who are still being
extensively studied by UNSCEAR.

Chernobyl was without a doubt a very serious accident. It happened at a
time of unprecedented change in the former Soviet Union and it is safe
to
say that a number of adverse health effects were caused by factors
inherent to Chernobyl, including worsening socio-economic conditions,
diminished food supply, vitamin deficiency, relocation, and
psychological stress. These are, however, not caused by the direct
effects of radiation. Your article only exacerbates radiation phobia
within the population. -

Yours, etc,
PHILIP W. WATSON, Professor of Applied Physics, WIL J.M. VAN DER PUTTEN,
Professor of Medical Physics, National University of Ireland, Galway.

And THE IRISH TIMES article of April 26, 2003 (p. 2) which provoked the
learned professors response letter is as follows:

"FULL EXTENT OF CHERNOBYL DISASTER 'NOW REVEALED' by
Louise Geaney.

Seventeen years after the Chernobyl nuclear plant exploded, Irish aid
campaigner Ms Adi Roche has warned that humanitarian efforts are barely
addressing the true extent of the disaster.

Cork campaigner and founder of the Chernobyl Children's Project, Ms
Roche was speaking on the anniversary of an event which affects over
nine
million people in the former Soviet Union. 'Belarus is on its knees
where illness among children is rife, where infertility rates are
soaring and where mortality rates are out-stripping birth rates in the
contaminated regions.' The explosion was the 'greatest environmental
catastrophe, in human history', she said. 'Many of those who were
children at the time of
the explosion are now beginning their own families and we are seeing the
effects of radiation being passed to the next generation and into the
gene pool as the rate of congenital birth deformities is frighteningly
high. What we are witnessing in Belarus is the erosion of a nation's health.'

The true extent of the disaster on human society had remained hidden,
and only recently revealed with the release of secret KGB files, said Ms
Roche. 'There may be confusion about the true extent of the devastation
caused but what we can be sure about at this point is that countless
lives in the Chernobyl region have been destroyed by death and
ill-health. The release of dozens of secret KGB files this week revealed
the chilling reality of what is a major cover-up. 'These files show that
up to 30,000 people died in the aftermath, while the authorities up to
now have admitted only 15 deaths. These files finally unmask the truer,
deadly picture.'

Earlier this month, a convoy of over 60 ambulances carried 3 million
[euro] worth of aid from Cork to Minsk, in Belarus. Every April 26th
since 1986, relatives and friends of those killed in the blast gather at
a cemetery outside the Russian capital to visit the graves of their
loved ones who are buried in lead coffins to protect the earth from
their contaminated corpses."

********

May I add, that like many others I have seen countlessphotographs of
terribly deformed babies from the nuclear disaster zone.

To end with a little serendipitious aside: while looking up the NUI,
Galway website this morning, I noticed that Nelson Mandela will be on
the Galway campus on Friday June 20th to be conferred with an honorary
doctorate. While I'm appalled at the (mis?)information on things
bio-radiative issuing forth from my old Alma Mater, I am very happy at
what is happening on June 20th.

Best, Imelda, Cork, Ireland

Greenpeace Activist News

UNITING FOR PEACE

Your overwhelming and record breaking response to the Uniting for Peace
initiative during the war in Iraq had a great influence. Our lobbyists
at the UN received lots of positive feedback from Ambassadors about the
quantity of public support the initiative had, and although the Arab
League DID in fact put in a call for a special General Assembly meeting
on the war in the first week of April, events in Baghdad overtook the
initiative, and it was withdrawn.

However, the struggle over this issue continues. The UN Security Council
continues to wrangle over the role of inspectors, the transition in
Iraq, the lifting of sanctions, the question of weapons of mass
destruction, and the fear of who the Bush administration will target
next. The call by the public, politicians and governments to uphold the
UN Charter and the rule of law, and to oppose US unilateralism and the
Bush doctrine continues. There is now an on-line petition supporting the
principles that we continue to push for at the UN. Please sign today at:

http://www.uniting-for-peace.net

and add your voice to those who don't want to see another 'preventive war'!

HELP BLOCK BLOODY TIMBER
http://act.greenpeace.org/ams/e?a=772&s=for

STOP SHIPBREAKING IN GUINEA BISSAU
http://act.greenpeace.org/ams/e?a=766&s=ship

HELP STOP MONSANTO GE WHEAT
http://www.greenpeace.org/multimedia/

HELP STOP DIRTY AUSTRALIAN OIL
http://www.greenpeace.org.au/climate/takeaction/sandefer/stop_shale.html