"THEY have long feared that a mobile phone mast has been causing cancer in their village. Now the residents of Benajarafe have scored a massive victory by having it removed.

"After a two year battle, Vodafone has been ordered to take down the controversial transmitter.

"The locals are adamant that the mast, which stands just metres from their houses was the reason for a high incidence of recent cancer deaths.

"Of the nearly 400 residents there have been a staggering 50 cases of cancer with more than 30 people dying in recent years.

"Many others claim to have been suffering from insomnia, headaches, depression and memory disorders due to the mast . . .

Public to Meet Over Bronte Cell Tower
"Say No to Cell  Towers in Residential Neighbourhoods" website

"Microwave cell phone antennas should not be placed on or near fire halls. These brave firefighters risk their lives to protect us and our property. During fires they can be exposed to potentially toxic fumes, some of which may be carcinogenic. This is a risk they train for and are willing to take. They should not be asked to work at a firehall that exposes them to microwave radiation for the benefit of a cellular provider. Microwave radiation has been classified as a possible human carcinogen by the World Health Organization.

"Studies show that microwave radiation can interact with chemicals to give an even deadlier mixture. Cancer cells can become more aggressive and multiply rapidly when mice are exposed to both a cancer causing substance and microwave radiation at the same time. This does not bode well for fire fighters.

"Fire fighters already take many risks to make our world a safer place. Let's ensure that their place of work, is as safe and healthy as possible."

"On January 11, the EMF Safety Network filed a lawsuit in California Superior Court against the City of Sebastopol, Verizon, and Crown Castle alleging the City's decision to approve a 4G cell tower expansion was in violation of a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). According to the Sebastopol attorney, the city has a "hold harmless" clause in their contract with Verizon which requires Verizon to pay for all litigation costs related to the cell tower.

"Sebastopol is located adjacent to an internationally recognized wetlands preserve, the Laguna De Santa Rosa. The City filed a CEQA exemption for the project stating there would be "negligible or no expansion of use", calling it a "minor alteration." EMF Safety Network lawyer Rose Zoia argued their exemption claims were false. The addition of 3 and 4 G panels to the cell tower will add significant radio frequency (RF) exposure to the downtown area and extend nine miles into the Laguna.

"Sebastopol's Telecommunications Ordinance states, " No telecommunications facility shall be sited such that its presence threatens the health and safety of migratory birds." . . .

"Some Mississauga residents are wondering, as the company looks over a number of church properties in the city to locate cell phone towers.

"The company has already found its calling in one location: Kingdom Glory Church on North Sheridan Way, where the phone tower doubles as a soaring cross.

"Now, Bell Mobility has proposed a 31-metre tower at nearby Clarkson Road Presbyterian Church . . .

"The late autumn snowfall has laid bare the Achilles heel of the wireless phone communication system in Connecticut.

"With the widespread failure of Connecticut Light and Power Company's electric grid caused by falling trees and limbs on Oct. 27, cell phone systems that relied on it for electric power fell silent in many areas.

"Unlike the hardwired phone system built by Southern New England Telephone Co. over the decades since the telephone was invented, and that has centralized battery backup systems, each cell tower and switching station of the cell phone system operates independently and must have its own power source to operate if the electric grid fails.

"With cell towers having no backup power in many areas of the state, those who have come to rely on its convenience found no signal bars on their phones, fully charged or otherwise. It wasn't just personal calls that weren't going through, the 911-system also took a hit . . .

"I congratulate you on choosing Cadillac Place in the middle of an industrial site to place your new 60-meter Telus microwave telecommunications tower with Alcatel-Lucent antenna.

"However, I do hope you realize you will be irradiating a brand-new old folks home, a veterinary clinic, chiropractic clinic, two shopping malls, a fish packing plant, and a brand-new housing development with microwave radiation--a Class 2B carcinogen, according to the World Health Organization--and no doubt setting off some kind of harmonic interference with the nearby Hydro substation which will undoubtedly amplify the carcinogenic and mutagenic effects of your microwave antennas . . .

"You have no right to subject me to known carcinogens without my informed written consent; only my physician has that right and only if I give it to him. I have not given you this consent, and to my knowledge, neither has anyone else.

"If you, Mr. MacFarlane, want to sit inside a microwave oven (aka radar range) turned on Low for the rest of your life, go right ahead. I want no part of it. None. And you have no right to force it upon me . . .

Local councils need to take steps to defend the health, safety and human rights of their constituents. They need to represent the people in their ridings, and people need to speak up for their rights.

According to Bill 23-2008 of the British Columbia Public Health Act, section 83 (1), Section 83 (1), a municipality must take action when it learns of something that could be harmful to its residents. It must notify the Minister of Health or take immediate action.

We can't say it strongly enough: Approach local councils NOW, and demand safe neighbourhoods!
If you don't, the change we need won't happen. 

This is a press release regarding property owners who allowed a cell tower on their property, relying on the claims that there was no health risk. They know differently now.

Note that most of the new contracts stop property owners from suing either the companies providing the tower, or the wireless service. Property owners are signing these documents prior to public hearings, and then cannot remove themselves. The risk is all on the property owners shoulders.

Summary Evaluation of the Results

"Especially alarming is the fact, that 84% of participants, almost the whole group, reacted with a massive decrease in the serotonin level (average 46%) following increased exposure from the operation of the newly erected telecommunications mast.

"The clear increase in depressive mood disturbances, lethargy and listlessness, appetite disturbances, inner agitation and reduced quality of life experienced by nearly all nearby residents must be acknowledged by orthodox medicine.

"Alarming is also the fairly steep nightly melatonin decrease in the presence of increasing telecommunication signal exposure, which is nearly half of the normal level for more than half of the group (56%). Even the slow increased tendency of nearly one third (28%) represents ultimately, despite a slight increase, only an upturn  within a mainly deeply lowered pathological region.  

"We therefore have to expect considerable sleep disturbance and immune deficiencies in 84% (28 plus 56%). Since, from the medical viewpoint, sleep disturbance is increasingly seen as a cancer promoting risk factor, these numbers must be considered as alarming. 

"The increase of the daytime melatonin level, that is also normally substantially lower in comparison to the nocturnal melatonin peak, also indicates a displacement of the flattened nocturnal distribution graph in the morning direction.  Normally, the level increases about 1-2 hours after going to bed, it reaches a maximum between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. and then drops off again steeply until the morning hours . . .

"During the day, consecutive symptoms appear, such as tiredness, irritability, loss of concentration etc. Actually, 16 participants complained about sleep disturbances, 6 complained that they were regularly awakened between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. and that they then had difficulty getting off to sleep again. 

"Since the group of participants had no other obvious change in their living conditions, apart from the operation of the mobile telecommunications mast with the measured, appreciably increased radiation exposure, it must be assumed that there is a direct  relationship.