At the moment, there is no way for the general public to object to the erection of a mobile phone mast (also referred to as mobile phone base stations) on the grounds of health concerns. With the current uncertainty, local planning authorities should have the executive power to grant or deny planning applications, and both the potential harm to health and the public concern over health issues should be considered to be material planning considerations.
Objectives
Change the law so that planning considerations can take into account both the concern for effects on health (this now has a precedent in the French legal system), and the scientific uncertainty on the safety of the technology.
Campaign Plans
- Call for legislation to implement a federal and European database on all radiofrequency transmitting sites e.g. GSM, UMTS, WIMAX, Wi-Fi, Radio, TETRA, TV, RADAR including all data that are needed to calculate radiofrequency exposures including their changes over time and to make the database available to health environment authorities and the public.
- Lobby for a change to PPG8 so that health is not explicitly excluded from material planning considerations. The current exclusion is worded as follows in the policy guidance document:
Extract From UK Planning Policy Guidance (PPG8)
“It remains central Government’s responsibility to decide what measures are necessary to protect public health. In the Government’s view, if a proposed mobile phone base station meets the ICNIRP guide- lines for public exposure, it should not be necessary for a Local Planning Authority, in processing an application for planning permission or prior approval, to consider further the health aspects and concerns about them.” [PPG8, para 98]
Accordingly, PPG8 states that if the proposed development meets the ICNIRP Guidelines, it should not be necessary for the Planning Authority to consider the health effects further. There is no requirement to provide an emissions profile; nor any requirement to question the need for the installation. The decision is therefore the responsibility of the Government
How does long term exposure to base stations and mobile phones affect human hormone profiles?
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0009912011027330
Mobile alert: Government sets alarm bell ringing on phone hazards as all handsets in Delhi to come with radiation emission tags
Delhi government asks Centre to frame rules for mushrooming cell towers
Biological effects from exposure to electromagnetic radiation emitted by cell tower base stations and other antenna arrays
B. Blake Levitt and Henry Lai
Download here
‘Cancer’ mast finally comes down in Spain
http://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2012/01/25/cancer-mast-finally-comes-down-in-spain/
Phone masts damaging our brains?
http://www.iol.co.za/scitech/technology/telecoms/cellphone-masts-damaging-our-brains-1.1232924
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIREFIGHTERS (IAFF) VOTES TO STUDY HEALTH EFFECTS OF CELL TOWERS ON FIRE STATIONS
Call for Moratorium on New Cell Towers on Fire Stations
Until Health Effects Can Be Studied
The Radiation Research Trust invites any firefighter with health concerns to contact Susan Foster at: susan.foster04@gmail.com
Res 15 – Press Release
Res 15 IAFF
Resolution_15_IAFF