Betreff: Japan EMF problem

Von: Hans Karow

Datum: Fri, 31 Aug 2007 10:33:08 –0700

A few days ago I got a very serious “call” for help from Mr. Kin Hing Tong in Japan. (Please read his messages from the bottom up).

I have informed Mr. Tong already about the The BioInitiative Working Group (links and report), as well I sent him some of my submissions from my many power line/substation application cases.

I sent this to you FYI and if possible, if you could give Mr. Tong some more advise.

I wonder whether you know of any other EMF/EMR cases in Japan (successful or not) Mr. Tong could be referred to.

Please forward your messages to Mr. Tong with CC to the rest of the mailing list.

Thank you,

Hans Karow

Coalition to Reduce Electropollution (CORE)

S 2 / C 49, RR # 1

3075 Hayman Road

NARAMATA, BC, V0H 1N0, Canada

E-mail: hkarow@shaw.ca

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From: gbltong tong [mailto:gbltong@gmail.com]
Sent: Friday, August 31, 2007 9:37 AM
To: hans karow
Subject: Re: EMF problem

I used to work in Canada and is still a registered professional engineer of Alberta, Canada.

I am now working out of Hong Kong ( A special administrative region of China), doing consultant work in China. 

The apartment buildings that shares a common wall with a power substation is occupied mainly by some retired  (nonmanagement grade) civil servants  who  have very limited knowledge of EMFs  and  have no expertise to deal with big corporations  and government officials. I feel ashamed as an engineer that others of my trade are setting up high voltage installations in such an unprofessional manner.  I am now helping these people on a voluntary basis.

To convince these poor souls, the power company is using very professional EMF testers to convince people that they have not exceeded the ICNIRP's "limits".

I can borrow a hand-held 3-axis EMF tester from my engineer friend in China to take measurements.  The government officials may not consider mine as accurate or officially calibrated as those used by the cash rich power company.

I have no idea about EMF pollution in Japan.

>From what I have heard in Asia, the power company's influence in Japan is beyond your imagination.  All they needed to tell the government is that any interference into their operation will make Japan's economy suffers.  A good example :  Not so long ago, a very serious earthquake hit Japan.  The quake damaged one of the biggest nuclear power plant resulting in nuclear waste leakage into the ground and into the air.  The incident was NOT reported to any municipal or central government officials for more than 6 hours.  Therefore no measurements of radioactivity was taken by local or central government agencies for that period of time and all the local residents that lived nearby are kept in the dark for that period of time.  The funniest thing is the power company got away without receiving any punitive actions from the governments for violation of  operating/reporting regulations.

Professionals in Asia tend to pat each other's shoulders rather than pointing fingers at others.  They tend to collude with each other rather than standing up and speak the truth.

There is no problem sharing my email with others.

Let me first find the name of the subsidiary of the US energy firm that join-ventures with the local asian partner.  Most of the US energy giants don't directly join-venture with local partners to avoid US regulations imposed on their operations outside of the US.

My legal friends are saying that these poor souls can only fight the power company on grounds of "reasonable" acts and owing of "duty of care" to neighbors  by  the energy  company and the professionals who carried out such design/installation.  And the power company and the professionals will always use the recognized ICNIRP guideline as shields.  Legal battles are always expensive in Asia and are beyond the means of these poor souls.  All I am trying to do now is trying to convince the government that there are new evidence that the power company is NOT doing things quite properly and hope that they will get the power company to modify their plans.

Best Regards,  KH Tong

P.S. :  The economic development in Asia actually comes with a big price tag but ordinary people don't seem to realize that.  

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From: gbltong tong [mailto:gbltong@gmail.com]
Sent: Friday, August 31, 2007 1:14 AM
To: hans karow
Subject: Re: EMF problem

 Dear Hans Karow:

Thank you for supplying me with info when are very busy with your other business and matters.

My name in Kin Hing TONG.  Everybody call me KH when I was in Canada because its easier to remember.

Although Hong Kong is a highly metropolitan city.  It's regulations and standards are a sham !
Unlike Australia and Canada, up to now there is no government energy agency/ies setup to monitor the energy industiries and their operations.

The Hong Kong Government will NOT do anything against big corporations.  They will  remedy something bad only when something disastrous  actually happened.  The power company, CLP POWER HONG KONG LIMITED that I am fighting with is partly owned by the US energy giant Exxon.  As the 1998 ICNIRP guidelines  cooked up by the energy industries is now the only guidelines recognised by the Hong Kong Government, it's almost hopeless to fight the power company. 

On one location, readings over 100~200 micro Telsa were read in a living room which is separated from a bank of 10 KV power transpformers by a wall of regular thickness.  Engineers from the HongKong Government and CLP POWER still insist its safe because the limits specified by ICNIRP is over 800+ micro Telsa. The TV set in the living room  is not feeling comfortable because the color is slightly distorted.  They are now  placing another bank of  132KV  power grid switching equipments next to another living room on the ground floor, which is also only separated by a wall.

In Hong Kong,132 KV power grid cables are laid all over the city under SIDEWALKS at a depth of 1.4 to 2.5 meter with Government approvals.  (132KV power grid cables are laid only in 2.5 to 3.00 meter deep concrete trenches in the middle of the road in Sidney Australia).

If I cannot find any "reputable" regulations to challenge the Hong Kong Government, I can now only collect data and use it to challenge the government when something bad actually happened in the future.  Some 132KV cables were buried under the the sidewalk right in front of a school.

I will send the Biolinitiative report to the government and see if they will accept it as a guideline.

EMF pollution is all over Asia as very few people understand its dangerous potential to human health.  The problem with EMF is that it is not visible and odorless and its not easily detected without proper equipment.

Best Regards   KH Tong

P.S. please keep me informed on any new development on fights against EMF pollution.

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From: gbltong tong [mailto: gbltong@gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2007 2:28 AM
To: hkarow@shaw.ca
Subject: EMF problem

Dear Hans Karow

1215 Poplar Grove Road

Penticton, BC, V2A 8T6, Canada

E-mail: hkarow@shaw.ca

I got your email address and excerpts of your communication with ICNIRP from an Internet search.

My understanding is that the 1998 ICNIRP EMF exposure guidelines is for "LIMITING" exposure for short or not so long durations.

Is there any new guidelines for PROLONGED (IN TERMS OF YEARS) exposure to EMFs issued by national or international agencies.

I am living in Hong Kong.  The power company (CLP Power Hong Kong Limited) is now laying a 132KV grid transmission cable under the sidewalk.( They are actually laying this kind of underground 132KV cable all over Hong Kong.  (.... To all prospective tourists who plans to pay a visit to Hong Kong:  Beware!!! )

The depth of the cable is about 2 to 2.5 metre below ground level. (At some location is only 1.5 M).  the cable is only one meter from the front door of my apartment.

The apartment building shares a common wall with the adjacent power substation, The living quarters of the apartments on the ground floor is separated  from 10KV and 132KV equipments by a 200~300mm wall. The high voltage equipments are standing right next to this common wall.

Please tell me where I can find codes, guidelines, or advice to argue against the power company on the improper installation of these equipments.

RGDS.  KH Tong

Email address : gbltong@gmail.com