Newsletter (20 April 2004)

The Microwave Syndrome: A preliminary Study in Spain

The presented results demonstrate a significant correlation between several symptoms of the named microwave sickness and the microwave power density associated to the Base Station located in a hill at the edge of a town. The severity of the symptoms weakens for people who live far away, at a distance greater than 250m from the main EMF source and a power density lower than 0.1 mW/cm2.

As there is a significant difference between both groups in terms of the irradiated power density, a hypothetical relationship between the DCS emission and the severity of both symptoms could exist.

There is a large and coherent body of evidence of biological mechanisms that support the conclusion of a plausible, logical and causal relationship between RF exposure and neurological disease. Hence it is probable that cell sites are causing many adverse health effects. Public health surveys of people living in the vicinity of cell site BSs should be being carried out now, and continue progressively over the next two decades. This is because prompt effects such as miscarriage, cardiac disruption, sleep disturbance and chronic fatigue could well be early indicators of the adverse health effects.

This is the first social survey about the microwave syndrome carried out in Spain, and is a preliminary study. Future surveys in another geographical locations are on the way. More research, and comparison of statistical results from different areas would be convenient.

Nowadays, the electromagnetic/microwave power density is not a recognised environmental pollutant. The reported results are obtained from one of the first social surveys on the health of the population who lives in the vicinity of a Base Station of GSM-DCS cellular phone. We could conclude the importance of the presented information to the knowledge of its possible implication on the public health.

Dr. Miguel Muntané

http://www.buergerwelle.de/pdf/the_microwave_syndrome_a_preliminary_study_in_spain_2003.pdf

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CELL TOWERS SPREADING THROUGHOUT NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM

Contact: Chas Offutt (202) 265-7337

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?

CELL TOWERS SPREADING THROUGHOUT NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM

Park System Ignoring Public Notice Rules; Does Not Even Track New Towers

Washington, DC

In the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Congress opened the door to tower construction by directing the National Park Service to develop appropriate regulations for preventing unsightly proliferation of towers. But as of today the NPS does not —

Know the number or location of cell towers within National Parks;
Have a coherent policy of what are inappropriate cell tower placements, heights or configurations. It is left up to each park superintendent to decide. Even what minimal national policy that did exist expired on April 4;
Preclude cell phone coverage in wilderness areas, meaning that soon every corner of every national park will be receiving cell phone signals.

The National Park Service is inducing the death of solitude,” stated PEER Board Member Frank Buono, a former long-time NPS manager who does not own a cell phone. “How can one commune with nature when you cannot escape ‘the calling area’ of civilization?”

Despite the dictates of previous NPS policy and congressional intent, the public is almost never notified about applications for new cell towers nor are they allowed to comment on towers prior to construction. An examination of the Federal Register yielded only six notices of initial application and only four notices that an environmental assessment was available for review. The only NPS unit that issued both required notices was the George Washington Memorial Parkway, located in a highly urban area within the Washington, DC Metro Area.

Last month, PEER protested an illegal 100-foot cell tower that NPS approved overlooking Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park, where again the public was shut out of the permit process. A review of Federal Communications licenses by the Forest Conservation Council shows cell towers in a number of parks, including Grand Canyon, Yosemite and Everglades National Parks, as well as Big Cypress and Mojave National Preserves. None of these facilities had the required public notices.

In response to PEER, NPS is now claiming a public safety rationale but have been unable to identify the extent or utility of emergency usage. “The Park Service has seized upon public safety as an after-the-fact pretext; the agency has not even studied its public safety communications needs,” added Buono. “Of greater concern, the logic of this new public safety argument dictates cell coverage over every square inch of the National Park System — a decision the National Park Service appeared to reach without one iota of public involvement.”

See the summary of the only six Federal Register notices filed by the National Park Service

http://www.peer.org/yellowstone/federal_register_notices.html

View the spreadsheet of Federal Communications licensed towers in National Parks

http://www.peer.org/yellowstone/cell_in_park.xls

Look at the lapsed Park Service Director’s Order on cell towers

http://www.peer.org/yellowstone/directororder.html

Read about the illegal cell tower over Old Faithful

http://www.peer.org/press/437.html

Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) is a national alliance of local, state and federal resource professionals, working to protect the environment.

http://www.peer.org/press/445.html

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Protesters win mobile mast fight

Campaigners have won their fight to prevent a mobile phone mast being put up on a Herefordshire industrial estate after councillors failed to back the plans.

The applicants wanted to install a 15 metre high third generation mobile phone mast at the Broad Meadows Industrial Estate, in Ross-on-Wye.

Residents raised concerns about the possible effects on their health and that of customers using the beer garden at the nearby Plough Inn.

Councillors rejected the plans because the antenna would be sited on a flood plain and they felt not enough had been done to find an alternative site.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hereford/worcs/2662075.stm

Informant: Robert Riedlinger

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"Until we are told it is safe, I don't believe this sort of equipment should be put up so close to public buildings."

Message from Dr. Miguel Muntané

MOBILE PHONE MAST PROPOSAL HALTED BY RESIDENTS' CONCERNS

11:00 - 10 March 2004

Residents opposed to plans to put a mobile phone mast on a St John Ambulance headquarters have won a temporary reprieve. Telecommunications giant T-mobile applied to the city council for permission to install a 12-metre mast on top of the St John Ambulance divisional headquarters in Wick Road, Brislington last month.

If approved, the mast would be close to Holymead Junior School and Wick Road Library, prompting concerns about public safety.

http://www.epost.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=86419&command=displayContent&sourceNode=864 16&contentPK=9157429

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WORKERS INJURED IN OIL WELL EXPLOSION

By: MEGAN MIDDLETON, Staff Writer

An oil well explosion in Gregg County that possibly was ignited by a cell phone left three workers hospitalized in Parkland Hospital's burn unit on Friday, a sheriff's office spokesman said.

Capt. Ken Hartley, public information officer for the sheriff's office, said that three workers with Signal Well Service of Kilgore were injured when a cell phone possibly ignited a flash explosion of gas vapors that had accumulated in a low-lying area where the oil well is located on North Point Pleasant Road near the Upshur County line.

The injured men were identified as Ricardo Rosas, Ricky Hart and Kenneth Drenning. Their families were notified, and company officials reported that their injuries were not life-threatening, Hartley said. Information on the men's ages and hometowns was not available.

A call came in to the sheriff's office at about 8:35 a.m. Friday, advising officials of an industrial accident at the oil well site north of Gladewater.

Six men were working on the oil well, including the three from Signal Well Service and three others from Mustang Well Service, also located in Kilgore.

"It is believed that either the cell phone or static electricity when the person reached to pick up or open the cell phone caused the ignition of the gas in the area," Hartley said.

He said damage to the well and the vehicles appeared to be minimal.

"The injuries far outweighed any damage observed at the scene," he said.

The Gladewater Fire Department, Gregg County Precinct 3 Constable Bill Echart and sheriff's deputies, as well as Gregg County Fire Marshal Will Gee and sheriff's investigators, responded to the location.

"It does appear strictly to be an industrial accident," Hartley said. "And, tragically, three men were injured. The last word is hopefully none of these injuries are life-threatening."

Megan Middleton covers Gregg and Anderson counties. She can be reached at 903.596.6287. e-mail: news@tylerpaper.com

©Tyler Morning Telegraph 2004

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=11279277&BRD=1994&PAG=461&dept_id=341384&rfi= 6

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Police radio blocks out TV signal

Residents are angry over their blank screens

A new hi-tech police radio system is being blamed for people in Dumfries losing their television reception. Dozens of viewers are experiencing interference on some, or all, of their TV channels. The problem has been traced to a new mast providing radio communications for the Dumfries and Galloway force. Residents have paid £60 for a device to boost their signal. A police spokesman said the glitch would be remedied when the system rolls out nationwide.

Julia Kulik lives just a few hundred yards form the mast at Dumfries and Galloway Police's headquarters.

'Police problem'

When it was switched on for trials several weeks ago her television set went blank. She said: "It's a problem the police have caused, but they're not willing to do anything about putting it right. "So we're back at square one again, no further forward than we were five weeks ago." Fitting an aerial filter worth about £60 seems to solve the problem, but an argument is under way about who should pay for the devices.

The new system has already proved controversial

Superintendent George Graham, of Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary, said he was anxious to work with broadcast regulator Ofcom and system supplier O2 Airwave to resolve the situation. But he insisted the new system was worth the teething problems. Supt Graham said: "The digital radio system will allow us to transmit not only voice communications over the radio and the telephone system, it will also allow us to transfer data. "It will allow officers to be out on the beat more, to be out in our communities more, to be actually tackling the issues that the people in Dumfries and Galloway want us to tackle." Dumfries and Galloway is the only force trialling the new system this year.

The controversial Tetra (Terrestrial Trunked Radio) police masts have already provoked concerns over their possible risk to human health.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/3626167.stm

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State to lease sites for phone mast use

Irish government plans to make big (euros) mast windfall from leasing Irish public building sites

http://www.constructireland.ie/news.php?artID=1223

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Microwaving — Dangers to Your Food and You?

http://www.jrussellshealth.com/microwaves.html

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Spain Launches Microchip Implantation for VIP Members

http://mindcontrol.twoday.net/stories/197179/

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Scientists Dismiss White House Claims

Administration Censorship and Manipulation of Science Ongoing

http://omega.twoday.net/stories/199624/

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Interview with Jeffrey St. Clair

Recently, co-editor of Left Hook M. Junaid Alam had a chance to interview Jeffrey St. Clair, co-editor of Counterpunch, about his devastating critique of corporate-government ruination of the environment presented in his recent book, Been Brown So Long It Looked Like Green to Me: The Politics of Nature. . .

http://www.dissidentvoice.org/April2004/Alam0415.htm

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Answering the Critics of Precaution

http://www.rachel.org/library/getfile.cfm?ID=378

Newsletter (20 April 2004)

The Microwave Syndrome: A preliminary Study in Spain

CELL TOWERS SPREADING THROUGHOUT NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM

Protesters win mobile mast fight

MOBILE PHONE MAST PROPOSAL HALTED BY RESIDENTS' CONCERNS

WORKERS INJURED IN OIL WELL EXPLOSION

Police radio blocks out TV signal

State to lease sites for phone mast use

Microwaving — Dangers to Your Food and You?

Spain Launches Microchip Implantation for VIP Members

Global Climate Change and Peak Oil - RICO LAWSUIT Petition

Leading Republican Blasts Bush Environmental Actions

Stop Seal Hunt

WORLD'S MARINE LIFE IS GETTING SICKER

Warming climate disrupts Alaska natives' lives

Scientists Dismiss White House Claims

Interview with Jeffrey St. Clair

Answering the Critics of Precaution