
================================================================
     MindNet Journal - Vol. 1, No. 5
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     V E R I C O M M / MindNet         "Quid veritas est?"
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Notes:

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Editor: Mike Coyle 

Contributing Editors: Walter Bowart
                      Harlan Girard

Assistant Editor: Rick Lawler

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HISTORY OF THE BRIDLEWOOD HYDRO LINE STRUGGLE 

BY: Richard W. Woodley
    Bridlewood Residents Hydro Line Committee

EMF Files - November 23, 1993 For more information, contact
ab190@freenet.carleton.ca 

May/September 1984 
     
     Ontario Hydro states at public information meetings that the
existing corridor through Bridlewood was ruled out for the new
500 kV lines because it was too narrow and did not meet their
guidelines for community impact. Ontario Hydro's environmental
assessment study stated the corridor width requirement for 500 kV
lines to be between 100-130 metres (the Bridlewood corridor is 
80 metres wide).

November 20, 1984
     
     Joint Board (Ontario Municipal Board and Ontario
Environmental Assessment Board) hearings begin. 

November 4, 1985

     Joint Board chooses the existing Bridlewood corridor for the
new 500 kV lines. This decision contradicts all the expert
evidence presented at the hearings, including that of Ontario
Hydro. Public health concerns were barely touched. The location
of the Bridlewood school was not considered by the Board because
it was not built yet.

May 9, 1986

     Appeal of Joint Board decision by City of Kanata to Ontario
Cabinet is denied. 

September 26, 1986

     Ottawa Citizen carries an article by April Lindgren on
health effects of electromagnetic radiation. Lynn Barrett and
Judy Hunter, along with other concerned residents, form the
Bridlewood Residents Hydro Line Committee (BRHLC). Research into
health effects and lobbying campaign begins.

December 1986

     City of Kanata and Ontario Hydro fail to reach agreement on
mitigating measures as required by previous Joint Board decision.
On December 15, 1986 the Joint Board holds a one and a half hour
hearing on Ontario Hydro's proposed mitigating measures. The
BRHLC is not given notice or adequate time to prepare for the
hearing. They are denied full standing and not allowed to call
witnesses or cross-examine Ontario Hydro's witnesses.
    
January 1987

     BRHLC engages legal counsel and announces it will seek a
judicial review of the routing decision. On January 20, 1987 200
Bridlewood residents protest outside the official opening of the
new Ottawa Court House by Premier Peterson.

March 1987

     Joint Board accepts Ontario Hydro's proposed mitigating
measures in a March 9, 1987 decision. On March 31, 1987 the BRHLC
appeals the Joint Board decision to the Ontario Cabinet. 

April 1987

     BRHLC survey finds that if the lines are built as planned
34% of parents would definitely not send their children to the
new school and another 16% would probably not. 

June 4, 1987

     Ontario Hydro starts construction  in the Bridlewood
corridor and are met by mothers and children who physically
prevent construction from continuing. Later that day, in the
Legislature, the Energy Minister orders Hydro to stop
construction until the BRHLC appeal is decided on by Cabinet.

July 8, 1987

     The results of the New York Power Lines Project are
released, including a study linking electromagnetic fields from
power lines to childhood leukemia and brain cancer.

December 1987

     On December 8, 1987 the Ontario Cabinet announces that it
had denied the BRHLC appeal on November 26, 1987. On December 10,
1987 Ontario Hydro begins construction and is met by protesters
who disrupt gravel deliveries for several days. On December 20,
1987 the Bridlewood struggle is featured on the CTV television
program W5.

March 1988

     On March 7, 1988 the Carleton Board of Education announces
that it will undertake it's own study into the health risks from
electromagnetic radiation at the Bridlewood school. A March 1988
BRHLC survey finds that if the lines are built as planned 40% of
parents would definitely not send their children to the new
school and another 30% would probably not. 

May 9, 1988

     Ontario Hydro states in a letter to the community that the
magnetic field strength at the edge of the right-of-way would be
less than 10 milliGauss (mG) under normal everyday conditions.

May 13, 1988

     300 residents demonstrate outside the new Bridlewood school
while 67% of the students are kept home by their concerned
parents. 

June 13, 1988

     Carleton Board of Education releases the findings from the
first phase of its health study which finds that at that time
(without the new lines in place) the school is safe.

July, 19, 1988

     BRHLC announces it has hired Jeff Cowan of the Toronto law
firm of Weir and Foulds (which has successfully fought Ontario
Hydro in the past) to represent them in their legal actions.

October 1988

     Joint Board agrees to consider a BRHLC request that it hold
new hearings and requests written submissions on the matter.

March 1989

     CBE issues preliminary report on the Bridlewood school.
Magnetic field readings have increased 10 times in and around the
school and are at levels associated with childhood cancer and
leukemia by the New York Power Lines Project. The readings at the
edge of the right-of-way exceed Ontario Hydro's 10 mG forecast of
May 9, 1988.

May  1989

     BRHLC holds DAY OF CONCERN on May 5, 1989. Over 100
residents demonstrated outside the Bridlewood school while 40% of
the students were absent. CBE issues another report which claims
there is no health risk to students at the Bridlewood school.
BRHLC spokespersons call the report "totally wrong, false
inaccurate, untruthful and deceptive". 

May/June 1989

     The May/June 1989 issue of Intervenor, the Newsletter of the
Canadian Environmental Law Association, published an article on
hydro lines and health written by Richard W. Woodley of the
BRHLC.

October 1989

     BRHLC  application for judicial review is withdrawn. BRHLC
continues to fight for new Joint Board hearings. Lobbying efforts
are intensified. BRHLC continues ongoing monitoring of the
electromagnetic field levels using its own dosimeter. On October
27, 1989 Ontario Hydro upgrades the voltage on one of the lines
from 230 to 500 kV. 

January 25, 1990

     BRHLC Field Measurement team releases a report, at a public
meeting attended by over 100 residents, indicating that magnetic
field readings at the Bridlewood school site were up to 27 times
higher than readings at the control school in the CBE study
(Henry Larson Elementary School). Readings in the school were as
high as 14 mG. Ontario Hydro had stated on May 9, 1988 that the
magnetic field strengths at the edge of the right-of-way would
not exceed 10 mG. Readings above 2 mG have been associated with
increased risks of childhood leukemia. 
     
February 20, 1990

     BRHLC representatives meet with Ontario Energy Minister Lyn
McLeod. 

Spring 1990

     BRHLC engages in a series of meetings with Ontario Hydro.

April 16, 1990

     CBC The Journal broadcasts a documentary on the issue of
electromagnetic radiation, including the Bridlewood struggle.

May 14, 1990

     CBE issues another report on the Bridlewood school magnetic
field readings which states that Bridlewood magnetic field levels
are among the highest of the six schools tested. It also states
that these conditions occur at other schools, particularly
Greenbank/Knoxdale public school in Nepean which borders a 230 kV
and 115 kV power line. BRHLC says the report is trying to
downplay the potential health risks from the lines. A BRHLC
spokesperson states "They are trying  to perpetuate the myth that
the new lines haven't had an impact on the readings at the
school, but they have had a serious impact".

June 20, 1990

     BRHLC plans to hold a public meeting to update the
community. Ontario Hydro officials have been invited to attend
the meeting to explain their position and answer residents
questions.

1990-1991

     The BRHLC participated in Public Focus's Visions 2020
program by means of a background paper provided by Richard W.
Woodley. Visions 2020 is an educational program designed to
provide students with the tools that will be needed in their
lifetime to understand and take part in the shift towards
sustainable development. The program involved thousands of senior
secondary school students from across Canada in developing their
vision for Canada on various topic areas. 

January 1991

     BRHLC meets with senior aide to newly elected New Democratic
Party Energy Minister Jenny Carter. Also BRHLC begins
preparations for Environmental Assessment Board Hearings on
Ontario Hydro's Demand/Supply Planning Study. The BRHLC has
received intervenor status and funding to present independent
evidence on the EMF issue before the Board.

May 1992

     Kanata councillor Marriane Wilkinson raised the issue of
EMFs at City Council stating that the health concerns should be
taken into consideration in planning and zoning decisions and
that staff should look further into the issue.

June 1992

     BRHLC makes a deputation to a special meeting of the Ontario
Hydro Board of Directors held in Ottawa on June 7, 1992. On June
16, 1992 the BRHLC holds a  public information meeting at the
Bridlewood school to bring update the community on the EMF issue
and the committee's activities.

September 1992

     Carleton Board of Education makes a conscious decision to
locate new portables at the school site as far away from the
hydro corridor as possible

Fall 1992

     Swedish study confirms findings of New York Power Lines
Project study linking electromagnetic fields from power lines to
childhood leukemia.

Winter 1992

     Ontario Hydro upgrades lines to full operating power with 1-
230 kV line and 2-500 kV lines.

March 1993

     BRHLC begins series of EMF measurements at Bridlewood school
site to determine if a continuous monitoring program is
warranted. BRHLC continues preparations for Ontario Hydro
environmental assessment panel. Environmental Assessment Board
has been replaced with an advisory panel due to Ontario Hydro's
withdrawal of its Demand/Supply Plan. In March 1993 the BRHLC
also joined the National EMR Alliance composed of public interest
groups from across North America concerned about the health
effects of electromagnetic fields.

May 1993

     BRHLC joins the National Capital Freenet as an information
provider. The committee has established a section within the
environment section of the Freenet providing information files
and a discussion group on electromagnetic fields and health. This
also provides the BRHLC with access to Internet e-mail and the
ability to communicate internationally at no cost and distribute
information throughout the world. Since then we have received
numerous requests for information from all over the world.

ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS AND HEALTH 

BY: Richard W. Woodley
    Bridlewood Residents Hydro Line Committee
    
     Ionizing and non-ionizing radiation are separated on the
electromagnetic spectrum by visible light - a frequency of
roughly 500 trillion cycles a second. Above that frequency is
ionizing radiation which contains enough energy to physically
alter the atoms it strikes, changing them into charged particles
called ions. Below visible light the low frequency waves are non-
ionizing - they do not possess enough energy to charge atoms.
Ionizing radiation, such as nuclear radiation and X-rays, have
long been known to be harmful. However, the question of the
health effects of electromagnetic radiation, which is non-
ionizing is a controversial one.

     Some of the first warnings came in 1972 when scientists in
the Soviet Union reported strange health effects in switchyard
workers who were routinely exposed to high levels of
electromagnetic fields. The workers experienced increased heart
disease, nervous disorders, blood pressure changes, recurring
headaches, fatigue, stress and chronic depression.

     Although concerns had been raised earlier, one of the first
epidemiological studies to indicate a health risk was a 1979
University of Colorado study by Dr. Nancy Wertheimer and Ed
Leeper which reported a two to three fold increase in cancer
deaths among children living near high current power lines in
Denver, Colorado. 

     In November 1986 Dr. David Savitz, of the University of
North Carolina, reported the results of a study done as part of
the New York Power Lines Project which confirmed Wertheimer and
Leeper's findings. The study found increased incidences of
childhood cancer and leukemia associated with EMF exposures above
2.5 mG. Dr. Savitz's final report to the New York State Health
Department stated: "The degree of confidence placed in these
findings is open to varying interpretation, but the tentative
conclusion that the study is supportive of an association of
electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and cancer risk is warranted." 

     Dr. David Carpenter, the Executive Secretary of the New York
Power Lines Project, in response to statements that the Project
"revealed no evidence that magnetic fields pose a health hazard"
stated: "Any logical person cannot conclude that there are no
effects." He said "It's just wrong to imply that there are no
hazards." Plans are now underway for a second New York Power
Lines Project.

     The findings of the Wertheimer and Leeper and Savitz studies
were confirmed by a 1991 study by S.J. London et al., published
in the American Journal of Epidemiology. 

     A University of Southern California study undertaken by John
Peters and colleagues and published in the American Journal of
Epidemiology in November 1991 also confirmed these findings.
Public Power Weekly reported on January 28 1992 that: "The most
comprehensive study to date of childhood leukemia and exposure to
electromagnetic fields offers additional evidence that proximity
to power lines may increase leukemia risk." 

     When wire codes were used to measure exposure, the risk of
leukemia among children with the highest exposure to magnetic
fields was about two times greater than the risk of leukemia
among children with the least risk.

     There was no clear association shown when direct
measurements of magnetic fields in the children's residences were
used as an indication of exposure. However the discrepancy
between results based on measurements and those using wire codes
may mean that wire codes are a more accurate predictor of
magnetic fields, according to the researchers. They stated:
"Although magnetic fields are imperfectly approximated by wiring
configuration, the wiring configuration is determined with little
error, is unlikely to change over time within a residence, and
therefore, may actually be a superior indication of long-time
field exposure than the measurements taken." "Even though our
24-hour measurements were longer than measurements made in
previous studies, they're still just snapshots", said Peters.
"The estimates based on wiring configuration may better reflect
the long-term exposure."

     These findings were further confirmed by a 1992 Swedish
study by Maria Feychting and Anders Ahlbom which reported a
higher relative risk of 2.7 times for childhood leukemia and 1.7
times for leukemia in adults for subjects exposed to higher
magnetic field levels compared with the control group in the
study.

     Christine Gorman in the October 26, 1992 issue of Time,
stated: "One of the most telling results was that the cancer risk
grew in proportion to the strength of the electromagnetic field."
She reported that children with constant exposures to the weakest
fields (less than 1 mG) had the lowest incidence of cancer. Those
exposed to 2 mG had a threefold increase in risk and those
exposed to 3 mG had a fourfold increase in the risk of leukemia.
As Gorman stated: "Such a clear progression makes it difficult to
argue that factors other than exposure to the electromagnetic
field were responsible for the extra cases of leukemia."

     As well a 1992 Danish study found a five-fold increase in
the risk of childhood leukemia, lymphomas and brain tumours where
children living near power lines were exposed to 4 mG.

     Children are not the only ones at risk. Microwave News
reported in March/April 1990 that "there are now at least 12
studies pointing to an EMF-brain tumour risk". Researcher Dr.
Samuel Milham Jr. stated: "There are far too many positive
studies to dismiss an EMF-brain tumour connection".

     As well, Microwave News reported in July/August 1990 that
epidemiologists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in
Seattle, WA, had uncovered new evidence for an association
between occupational exposures to electromagnetic fields (EMFs)
and the development of male breast cancer. The study supports the
preliminary findings of a Johns Hopkins University (JHU) study,
reported last year, showing an increased risk of male breast
cancer among young New York telephone workers.

     Paul Demers, working with Dr. David Thomas's research group
at the Hutchinson center, has found that telephone linemen,
electricians and electric power workers have six times the
expected rate of male breast cancer - a statistically significant
increase. For radio and communications workers, the risk was
almost tripled. Overall there was a doubling of the cancer risk
for all EMF-exposed workers. 

     Over 40 occupational studies have shown that adults who were
routinely exposed to high EMFS in their work environment had a
significantly increased chance of dying of cancer when compared
to other workers.

     Laboratory studies have also shown health effects from
electromagnetic radiation. Cass Peterson, writing in The
Washington Post, states: "Similarly, numerous animal studies have
demonstrated neurological or reproductive effects from low
frequency electromagnetic fields. Chick embryos show a higher
rate of abnormalities when exposed to low-frequency fields, mice
suffer a higher rate of abortion and abnormal fetuses when
exposed to slightly higher frequencies, approximating those
emitted by video display terminals." Peterson further stated: "In
separate experiments, scientists at the Cancer Therapy and
Research Centre in San Antonio discovered human cancer cells
exposed to 60 Hz fields (the frequency of a high-voltage line)
grew as much as 24 times as fast as unexposed cells and showed
'greatly increased resistance to destruction by the cells of the
body's defense system.'"

     While doing research for the New York State Power Lines
Project Dr. Jerry Phillips and Dr. Wendell Winters discovered
that human cancer cells proliferated like crazy when exposed to
magnetic fields. As well, the exposed cells became increasingly
resistant to the body's immune system. Drs. Phillips and Winters
stated that their observations led them to believe that it was
possible that magnetic fields stimulate the rate of cancer cell
growth, or act as a cancer promoter.

     We only have room here to cite a sampling of the hundreds of
laboratory studies that have shown a link between EMFs and health
effects.

     Scientific research studies are not the only indicators of
health effects. The Middletown, N.Y. Sunday Record carried a
report about a farmer with two 345 kV lines through his farm. it
reported: "Rodney Grogan got blisters on the back of his head
after a day spent working under the lines. Then his wife got
them, too, when she helped. Still, he didn't blame the line until
his father came to help out, and he got the same, runny
blisters." Other farmers in the area have similar stories.

     In the United States several courts have ruled on the health
risk issue.

     In late 1985, after parents brought suit, a Texas court
ruled that Houston Lighting & Power had shown "callous disregard"
of their children's health by siting a 345 kV line within 200
feet of a school and playground. The court ordered the utility to
relocate the line.

     In June 1989 a Florida judge ruled that children may not
play in a Boca Raton school yard which borders on high voltage
power lines. The suit was brought by three local parents who
sought to close the Sandpiper Shores school because of potential
electromagnetic field health hazards.

     The judge noted that children have "no choice" about going
to school and therefore EMF exposure at school is an involuntary
risk: He stated that "a 1% chance that there is substantial
danger is unacceptable". 

     Official recognition of the health hazards of electro-
magnetic radiation is slowly coming. In a report issued June 19,
1989 the United States Congressional Office of Technology
Assessment stated: "Electric and magnetic fields produced by
electric power systems may pose public health hazards." The
report states that a growing amount of evidence now indicates
that, under certain circumstances, even relatively weak extremely
low frequency (ELF) fields can cause biological changes and that,
although the implications are still unclear, "there are
legitimate reasons for concern".
     
     Among the report's proposals is a strategy of "prudent
avoidance": attempting to route new transmission lines so that
they avoid people; widening transmission line rights-of-way;
developing designs for distribution systems - including new
grounding procedures - which would reduce the associated fields;
and redesigning appliances to minimize or eliminate fields. 

     Further official recognition comes from a United States
Environmental Protection Agency draft report which, according to
The New York Times (May 23, 1990), says that there is a possible
link between cancer and the electromagnetic fields generated by
power lines. In particular, the agency's survey of existing human
health studies found that children exposed to such radiation
seemed to face a higher than normal risk of developing leukemia. 

     The findings on the possible health effects of exposure to
radiation from electromagnetic fields generally agree with those
in the report issued previously by Congress's Office of
Technology Assessment.

    Of the EPA report, Time magazine reported, on July 30, 1990,
that Louis Slesin of Microwave News, has printed what may be his
greatest scoop: the key paragraph of a two-year Environmental
Protection Agency study recommending that so-called extremely
low-frequency fields be classified as "probable human
carcinogens" alongside such notorious chemical toxins as PCBs,
formaldehyde and dioxin. The recommendation, which could have set
off a costly chain of regulatory actions, was deleted from the
final draft after review by the White House Office of Policy
Development. "The EPA thing is a stunner," says Paul Brodeur, a
writer for the New Yorker. "It's a clear case of suppression and
politicization of a major health issue by the White House." 

     Paul Brodeur wrote of the EPA report in The New Yorker: "In
spite of the deletion, the summary-and-conclusions section of the
draft EPA report contained a persuasive indictment of power-line
magnetic fields as a cancer-producing agent. Its authors stated
that five of the six case-control studies published in the peer-
reviewed medical literature showed that children who lived near
power lines giving off strong magnetic fields were developing
cancer more readily than children who did not live near power
lines."

     Public health officials are now beginning to take a position
on the EMF issue.

     Patti Miller, who is in charge of the Washington State
Department of Health EMF Task Force, is quoted by Ellen Sugarman
in Warning: The Electricity Around You May Be Hazardous to Your
Health as stating: "In the Department of Health, we've been
answering questions about the dangers by telling people to avoid
fields at the level of 3 mG. The utilities recently complained to
the governor's office about it and the governor has tried to make
us stop saying this when people call. But we feel strongly that
we can't just pass the buck the way they do. After all, we're
responsible for the public health." 

     Dr. David Carpenter, former Executive Secretary of the New
York Power Lines Project and now Dean of the State of New York
School of Public Health, is quoted by Ellen Sugarman as stating: 

     "I am now convinced that EMFs pose a health hazard.
     There is a statistical association between magnetic
     fields and cancer that goes beyond the shadow of
     reasonable doubt. I think there is clear evidence that
     exposure to EMFs increases the risk for cancer. This is
     most clear with leukemia and brain tumours, but in the
     residential studies, statistical significance increased
     for all kinds of cancer. And we're just beginning to
     have a whole body of evidence that reproductive cancers
     are increased by exposure."


     The Bridlewood Residents Hydro Line is maintaining a
Bibliography on Electromagnetic Radiation and Health which
currently contains over 800 entries consisting of scientific
reports and journal articles, government and official reports,
newspaper and magazine articles, books, and non-print media such
as videotapes and TV programs.

HYDRO LINES AND SCHOOLS AND PLAYGROUNDS

BY: Richard W. Woodley
    Bridlewood Residents Hydro Line Committee

     "Schools may become the next battleground in the EMF
(electromagnetic fields) conflict. As parents learn more about
EMF health effects, they are demanding measurements and, when
necessary, reductions of EMF levels in classrooms and
schoolyards." As Microwave News reported in April 1990,
"Conflicts over EMFs in schools are not new".

     Certainly this is not a new issue in Kanata as the
Bridlewood community has been fighting this issue since 1984 over
high voltage transmission lines located beside the Bridlewood
Community Elementary School. 

Houston, Texas, 1985

     One of the most famous and earliest cases occurred in
Houston, Texas in late 1985. After parents brought suit, a Texas
court ordered Houston Lighting & Power to pay more than $25
million to a local school district for "callous disregard" of
their children's health for siting a 345,000 volt line within 200
feet of a school and playground. The court also ordered the
utility to relocate the line, at an additional cost that may
exceed $40 million. 

Boca Raton, Florida, 1989

     Another significant case was in Florida in the summer of
1989. A Florida judge ruled that children may not play in a Boca
Raton school yard which borders on high voltage power lines. The
suit was brought by three local parents who sought to close the
Sandpiper Shores school because of potential EMF health hazards.
The judge noted that children have "no choice" about going to
school and therefore EMF exposure at school is an involuntary
risk: "A 1% chance that there is substantial danger is
unacceptable".

     As well the school board agreed to allow the parents of
children attending the school to request transfers to another
school if they had concerns about the school being located next
to the power lines.

California, 1989
 
     Also in the summer of 1989, the California State Department
of Education adopted a policy for siting schools near power
lines, noting that a "conservative approach" should be taken when
evaluating sites near power line easements. The department's
School Facilities Planning Division limits for schools are: 100
feet from the edge of easement for 100-110 kV lines, 150 feet for
220-230 kV lines and 250 feet for 345 kV lines. 

County Wicklow, Ireland, 1989 

     In 1989 in County Wicklow, Ireland, a citizens group called
SPARKS (Stop Powerlines Across Residences Kindergartens and
Schools) began fighting a 220 kV power line located near two
schools and many homes. The group called a Ministry of Energy
report claiming there is no health risk a whitewash stating that
it is biased and contains flaws and omissions. 

Santa Barbara, California, 1990 

     On February 28, 1990 New Yorker writer Paul Brodeur and the
Electric Power Research Institute's Dr. Leonard Sagan went head-
to-head in Santa Barbara before the California Municipal
Utilities Association. The EMF issue is hot in Santa Barbara
because of an unexplained childhood cancer cluster at Montecito
Union School. Between 1981 and 1988, there were six cases of
leukemia and lymphoma among the students - five times the
expected rate. Of particular concern is the fact that two 66 kV
power lines are on the perimeter of the school property. In
addition there is an electrical substation close by. 

     The day after the Brodeur-Sagan face-off, Jack Sahl of
Southern California Edison told the Santa Barbara News-Press
that, based on his EMF survey, "Montecito looks like just a
normal school in terms of [EMFs]." On March 16, 1990, the News-
Press reported that the school board had decided to rope off
sections of the school that have strong magnetic fields. 
     
     The school board voted unanimously to limit the exposure of
students at the Montecito Union School to EMF exposures below 2
mG. The school relocated playgrounds and desks and roped off
sections of the school with high magnetic fields.

New Jersey, 1990

     Also in 1990 the New Jersey Commission on Radiation
Protection proposed that the siting of new playgrounds under
power lines be prohibited and that warnings be posted at
playgrounds that are already located under power lines.

Sweden, 1990

     Early in 1990 The Swedish National Energy Administration
(NEA) advised that new schools, day-care centres and playgrounds
not be located near power lines, "pending further research." Jack
Nou, the head of the NEA's department of electrical safety,
recommended that magnetic fields in those areas not exceed 2-3
mG, the threshold for increased childhood cancer risks indicated
by the Wertheimer-Leeper and Savitz studies. Mesa, Arizona, 1992

     Parents concerned with an unusually high incidence of brain
cancer among children at Frost Elementary School identified a 50
mG magnetic field hot spot in the basement. The problem was
rectified by correcting an improperly wired lighting system.

Fresno, California, 1992

     In an article in the December 7, 1992 issue of The New
Yorker, Paul Brodeur reports on a cluster of cancer cases among
teachers and teachers aides at the Louis N. Slater Elementary
School in Fresno, California. A high voltage transmission line is
within a hundred feet or so from the school and the cancer cases
were concentrated amongst people working on the side of the
school closest to the power lines. New schools in California are
now required to be at least 150 feet from such lines.

     The Fresno Unified School District responded to parents'
demands for action by closing ten classrooms, placing the
children in portables on the other side of the schoolyard and
closing off an area of the playground that was nearest to the
power lines.

San Francisco, California, 1992

     Teachers at the Alvarado Elementary School have refused to
work in the front half of the school that is beside electrical
transformers and distribution lines. Twenty-two cases of cancer
have been identified in staff that worked in that half of the
school while none were reported amongst staff who worked in the
other half of the school. The San Francisco Board of Education is
looking into the problem.

Oregon (1992)

     The Bonneville Power Administration has passed a moratorium
on siting playgrounds in transmission line right-of-ways.

Clark County, Washington, 1992

     The mother of a teenager who died of leukemia has filed a
wrongful death suit against the Public Utilities District
alleging that electromagnetic fields from a 115 kV transmission
line next to her daughter's school and a substation near their
home caused her daughter's cancer.

HYDRO LINE AND EMF STRUGGLES AROUND THE WORLD

BY: Richard W. Woodley
    Bridlewood Residents Hydro Line Committee

New York State - Goshen/Middleton (1982-1989) 

     Farmers and other landowners are fighting the New York Power
Authority (NYPA) over the 345 kV Marcy-South transmission line
carrying power from Canada to New York City.

     The property owners want the NYPA to establish a 2,400 foot
right-of-way limiting magnetic field exposures to 0.5 mG. They
are seeking $63 million in damages, the utility has offered
$400,000. 

United States (1985 -)   

     Since 1985 more than 100 EMF lawsuits have been launched in
the United States.

Australia - Melbourne (1988) 

     A 220 kV power line from Brunswick to Richmond, serving
Melbourne, has been placed on hold pending a new study by a
review panel. The panel will be watched closely by Powerline
Action, an umbrella organization of community groups and
residents based in Melbourne.

California - Fremont (1988)

     The planning commission is requiring the state real estate
department to warn potential buyers of homes in a new subdivision
near power lines that the lines may pose a health risk.

Maryland (1988) 

     The Brinkwood Community Association in Maryland is opposing
a 500 kV power line proposed by the Potomac Electric Power Co.
The line was approved subject to a hearing on health effects by
the Public Service Commission. The Maryland People's Council,
which represents the interests of residential electricity users,
will be participating in the hearings.

United States (1988)     

     In its August 22, 1988 issue, Newsweek told the public what
utility professionals have long known: There is a virtual
moratorium in the U.S. on building new high-voltage power lines
because of "community opposition and environmental worries." 

British Columbia (1989) 

     BC Hydro has offered to pay a fair market price to
landowners concerned about increased electromagnetic fields
(EMFs) from a new 230 kV power line on Vancouver Island, although
they claim there is no reason to believe the line poses a health
risk. 90% of those eligible have indicated an interest in the
purchase offer.

     Since then the British Columbia Utilities Commission has
ordered BC Hydro to stop all work on the line until a public
inquiry could be held into the safety of the line and ordered it
to extend its offer to buy the homes along the right-of way until
September 15, 1989.

Florida (1989)

     On December 29, 1989 Florida's Hillsborough County
challenged the state's power line electromagnetic field standards
claiming that the standards disregard studies showing a potential
link between increased cancer risks and magnetic field exposures
at levels significantly lower than the specified limits.
According to the county, they "do not further the statutorily
mandated goal of protecting public health and welfare," because
they are "approximately 100 times greater than the intensity of
magnetic fields, which are suspected to increase the incidence of
all childhood cancer by 30 percent and to double the risk of
contracting childhood leukemia."

Texas - Austin (1989)

     Austin, Texas City Council adopted a resolution requiring
the City Manager to develop a transmission plan which will
provide reliable service while minimizing the potential health
effects from electromagnetic radiation and requiring that if any
lines greater than 138 kV are proposed the field strengths are no
greater than those of 138 kV lines with the same capacity. 

Maryland (1989-1990)

     On January 22, 1990 the Maryland Office of People's Counsel
(OPC) challenged a December 21, 1989 Maryland Public Service
Commission (PSC) decision to allow the Potomac Electric Power
Company (PEPCO) to complete the last segment of a 243 mile 500 kV
power line loop around Washington, D.C. 

     The OPC challenged the PSC Hearing Examiner's decision,
arguing that the "evidence clearly is sufficient to justify the
commission's adoption of a 'prudent avoidance' policy in this
case, and the imposition of conditions which will reduce the
magnetic field exposure levels in a reasonable and prudent
manner."

Oregon (1990)

     Pacific Power and Light, an Oregon utility, recently
announced that it will use a "delta" tower design that will
nearly halve the EMF levels along the edge of the right-of-way
(ROW) of a proposed 500 kV power line. The total additional cost
of the new towers is approximately $2.4 million, about 3.5% of
the total cost of the project.

     PugetPower, which received a permit to build the 130-mile
Eugene-Medford line in 1982, hit a roadblock when residents
living near the proposed line banded together to fight the
utility's plans. The ensuing controversy led the DOE to assemble
a panel of experts to review the literature on ELF health
effects. 

Rhode Island (1990) 

     On October 9, 1990 the town council of East Greenwich, RI,
banned all new power lines above 60 kV for three years. The
ordinance came about in response to widespread citizen concern
about the EMFs from proposed new 345 kV and 115 kV lines which
the Narragansett Electric Company plans to run through parts of
East Greenwich. This is the first moratorium on power line
construction in the U.S.

     Rhode Islanders for Safe Power (RISP) pushed for the three-
year moratorium because of the need for further research on the
health effects of EMFs and because it "was the least noxious
formula and most likely to be sustained by the PUC," RISP's Ed
Seiler told Microwave News. 

     The nearby towns of Coventry and Foster have followed East
Greenwich's lead by passing moratoriums of their own, and a
statewide ban on high voltage power lines was proposed during the
1991 legislative session. 

Washington (1990)

     Voters in Whatcom County, WA, approved a citizens'
initiative restricting power lines exceeding 115 kV to industrial
areas. Citizens Initiative No. 4-90 marks the first successful
power line siting referendum in the U.S
     
     The 1990 Whatcom County vote stood out in a year in which
many other environmental referendums were rejected. California's
"Big Green" and New York's environmental bond propositions both
failed, yet the Whatcom County power line initiative passed by a
nearly two-to-one margin. 

Soviet Union 1990

     In response to citizens' protests about the siting of a
high-power transmission line the government ordered the utility
to make the line direct current.

Michigan (1991)     

     Michigan Rep. Howard Wolpe (D) has asked Consumers Power Co.
 (CPC) of Jackson, MI to suspend construction of a controversial
115-mile, 345 kV transmission line, citing concerns about
electromagnetic field (EMF) exposures. In an August 13, 1991
letter, Wolpe urged the utility to "announce a moratorium on this
project".

     Wolpe is the chairman of the House Committee on Science,
Space and Technology's Subcommittee on Investigations and
Oversight, which held a hearing on August 6, 1991 in  Battle
Creek, MI, on the power line and EMFs.

     The Michigan branch of RAGE (Residents Against Giant
Electric) has succeeded in getting many of the towns along the
proposed route to pass resolutions opposing the project

Wisconsin (1991)

     Add Wisconsin to the list of states considering a temporary
ban on new power lines because of concerns over possible EMF
health effects. On November 6, 1991, Maxine Hough and eight other
state representatives, along with two state senators, introduced
legislation calling for a three-year moratorium on new lines
above 60 kV. The bill would require the Wisconsin Public Service
Commission (PSC) to conduct EMF research and measurement surveys
during the moratorium. "It is dangerous and foolhardy to build
more high voltage power lines...until we have adequate answers to
the health concerns," Hough said at an October 7, 1991 press
conference. 

     Last year, Wisconsin legislators and their staffs were
disturbed to learn that EMFs as high as 400 mG had been recorded
in the buildings where they work. State legislators in Michigan,
Rhode Island and Tennessee, as well as local officials in
Missouri, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Washington State, have
proposed power line bans.

California - Daly City (1992)

     Developers of a subdivision next to a large transformer
station and under high-voltage lines have been required to give
buyers a disclosure statement that warns of "possible potential
adverse health effects caused by exposure to electric and/or
magnetic fields generated by high-voltage lines".

Illinois - Chicago (1992)

     Better Electric Safety Today (BEST) is a network of citizens
groups and activists in the Chicago area fighting power lines.
One of the groups - No Power Towers, in Kane County was
successful in getting Commonwealth Edison (Com Ed) to
indefinitely postpone plans for a new transmission line. Citizens
Against Unsafe Electricity (CAUSE) in Lake County has also been
fighting Com Ed. Two groups in Dupage County, in Warrenville and
Wheaton. are fighting Com Ed plans as well. Another two groups
have also been formed in the Chicago area.

Indiana (1992)

     Families United for Safe Energy (FUSE), a Shipshewana,
Indiana based group fighting the power line issue, celebrated
it's first anniversary in May 1992. 
 
Kansas (1992)

     The Pinckney Neighbourhood Association is fighting plans by
KPL Gas Service to upgrade power lines in their community from 69
kV to 115 kV. They fear increased exposure to electromagnetic
fields created by the high-voltage lines. They want KPL to string
the lines along the Santa Fe Railway right of way on the west
bank of the Kansas River. 

Pennsylvania - Scranton (1992)

     Mayor Jim Connors appeared before the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency in January to report on community concerns that
a high incidence of cancer among residents on the south side of
the city may be caused by a 69-kV power line running through the
neighbourhood.

Pennsylvania - York County (1992)

     Opponents of a proposed 268-mile 500 kV power line in
northern York County, Pennsylvania have won a delay in the
technical hearings on the project. The opponents, including the
Citizens' Action Group, have argued that the line will decrease
property values and that the electromagnetic fields surrounding
the line may be harmful to human health.

Tennessee - Tiptonville (1992)

     The Lake County Commission has forced the Tennessee Valley
Authority to reroute a 161-kV line residents felt was going to
pass too close to their residences. "I just don't feel people
will stand for it", said Shelby Barker, a Lake County executive.
  
Virginia - Alexandre (1992)

     Residents are fighting to get the power company to remove
lines near their homes and the city council is behind them.

SOURCES OF ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS AND HOW TO AVOID THEM

BY: Richard W. Woodley
    Bridlewood Residents Hydro Line Committee

ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD EXPOSURE IN THE HOME

What Are Normal EMF Levels in the Home

     According to the industry-funded Electric Power Research
Institute (EPRI) electromagnetic fields (EMFs) in residences
generally range from 0.5 to 10 mG. However, a number of recent
studies have found that most residences have readings below .5
mG. A large-scale Denver study showed magnetic fields to be below
1.82 mG for 90 percent of the homes, while 75 percent had fields
below 1 mG.

What Are Safe EMF Levels

     This is the most controversial aspect of the EMF issue with
some scientists saying more research is necessary to determine
safe or dangerous levels. However a growing number of scientists
have accepted that EMFs are a proven health risk. The levels
cited by these scientists as a maximum safe level of exposure
range from 1 mG (for example, Dr. Robert O. Becker) to 3 mG (for
example, the Washington State Department of Health). 

What Are the Sources of EMFs in the Home

     A study by the Electric Power Research Institute listed the
primary sources of residential magnetic fields as:

     - Transmission lines

     - Distribution lines

     - Currents in the residence's grounding system

     - Unusual wiring arrangements in the residence

     - Appliances (Appliances don't contribute greatly to the
     overall high magnetic fields in a house).

     Numerous studies have established that most high magnetic
fields in houses are produced by nearby power lines. The fields
from high-voltage transmission lines are greater and require
greater distances before they drop off. Fields from distribution
lines are lower and drop off sooner but are more pervasive within
our communities. Transformer stations and pole/ground mounted
transformers also emit EMFs.

    Luciano Zafanella of EPRI states: "The two most common
sources of magnetic fields in this country today are the power
lines outside on the street and the home grounding system".

How to Avoid EMF Exposure in the Home

     The simplest way is to avoid purchasing a home with high EMF
levels. This can be determined indirectly by checking for the
presence of EMF sources such as nearby transmission or
distribution lines or transformer boxes close to the home. The
first or second home from a pole/ground mounted step-down
transformer will likely have high readings. 

     The EMF level can be determined directly by measuring the
fields in the home. If you choose to measure the fields (or have
them measured for you) the readings should be taken at a time of
peak power usage - around supper time is best. Susan Sugarman in
her book (cited below) sets forth a protocol for measuring EMFs
on your property and in your home.

     Often the utility company can reduce EMF levels by balancing
the loads in the distribution lines. Transmission line fields can
be lowered by using different tower designs or by burying the
lines.

     Sometimes high EMF levels in the home can be a result of the
way the electrical system is grounded to the municipal water
system, especially if the water pipes and electrical power lines
enter the home at opposite ends of the house. Even currents from
your neighbours house may enter your home this way and contribute
to high fields. It may be possible to make changes to the
electric grounding system or the water system to eliminate these
fields but anyone contemplating this should consult an
electrician to ensure the changes comply with the electrical
code.

     Unusual wiring, such as having the positive and neutral
wires of a circuit not running together can contribute to higher
fields. Again, consult an electrician for possible solutions.

     Susan Sugarman provides greater details of these electrical
wiring problems in her book.

Electromagnetic Fields from Household Appliances

     Utility companies like to cite appliance use when discussing
EMFs -- mostly to confuse the issue. For the most part, magnetic
fields from appliances are not a significant factor. Although
some appliances have high fields they usually drop off within a
short distance and the appliances are usually used only for a
short period of time. For example the field within an electric
oven is extremely high. However, if one was to keep one's head
inside an electric oven when it is on for any length of time the
EMFs would be the least of their worries. 

     However there are some appliances where magnetic fields may
be a problem - electric blankets and water-bed heaters, hair
dryers, black and white televisions and electric heat.

     Studies have linked higher miscarriage rates to the use of
electric blankets. Water-bed heaters emit similar fields. It is
recommended that electric blankets be used to pre-heat the bed
and not plugged in while you are in bed; although some newer
models are being designed so that the fields cancel each other
out. As well electric clocks with motors should not be placed on
bedside tables.
     
     Electric hair dryers and razors are two devices that emit
high fields next to the head. Although used for short periods of
time there are alternatives that pose no EMF risk. It is
recommended by Dr. David Carpenter that  children not use
electric hair dryers. Children should also keep a reasonable
distance from the screen while watching television - 42" is cited
as a minimum distance - greater for large screen TVs. 

     Studies have linked electric heating coils embedded in the
ceiling with cancer and miscarriages. As well, electric heaters,
portable and baseboard, produce EMFs. Keep your distance from
electric heaters and do not place a child's bed immediately
beside an electric baseboard heater. 

     Also one should not needlessly stand beside a microwave oven
while it is operating, not only to avoid EMFs but to avoid
possible microwave leaks.

Electromagnetic Fields and Energy Conservation

     One way to challenge proposed new transmission lines in your
neighbourhood is to take a two-pronged approach. First raise the
health issue. But also question the need for the new lines in the
first-place. Utility companies are notorious for over-forecasting
future electricity needs. Often a proposal can be defeated by
demonstrating there is no need for the power it will be carrying
- and recent energy  use trends support this argument.

     Electromagnetic fields increase with the current in the
power lines. Reduce energy consumption and you reduce the load
and with that you reduce the fields. That is why Ellen Sugarman
states: "Energy conservation policy holds the key to an
immediate, sensible, inexpensive and safe resolution of the EMF
public health question. Energy conservation is also the answer to
everyone's concern about our continued ability, as a society, to
produce all the energy we need."

OCCUPATIONAL EMF EXPOSURE

     Workers can be exposed to EMFs from the electrical system in
their buildings and the equipment that they work with.

     The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(United States) has made recommendations on reducing EMF exposure
in the workplace. These include:

     - Studies to identify and characterize EMF sources.

     - Changes in the electric code to reduce exposures to EMFs
     that result from dispersed neutral return currents in the
     ground systems of buildings.

     - Designs for placement of wires in new construction that
     would reduce exposure.

     - Development of electrical wiring installation practices
     that would lead to lower EMF levels. 

     - Research into field cancellation techniques.

     - Wiring and circuit design of industrial equipment, power
     tools, and office equipment to reduce EMFs, and possible
     retrofit of existing equipment.

     - Development of more effective shielding materials.

     - Administrative controls of work practices to reduce
     exposure, such as increasing the distance between the worker
     and the source; minimizing exposure times, task redesign;
     work-station redesign; use of robotics.

     - Design of lower EMF equipment.

     - Modification of circuit design in equipment to reduce the
     generation of transient fields.

     - Development of better protective equipment,

     - Training and education of workers to reduce exposure.

     Electromagnetic field exposures from Video Display Terminals
(VDTs) are a major concern among office workers as studies and
anecdotal evidence have linked EMF exposure to increased risk of
miscarriages among pregnant workers.

     The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has
recommended that office space be arranged so that workers not be
exposed to emissions from the sides and backs of other people's
computers.

     Sweden has established a manufacturing standard for both ELF
and VLF emissions from VDTs. the ELF radiation limit is 2.5 mG at
20 inches. 

     Low EMF computer monitors are now being marketed in North
America as industry has recognized that it is a concern of
consumers.

WITH INFORMATION FROM: Sugarman, Ellen; Warning: The Electricity
Around You May Be Hazardous to Your Health; A Fireside Book;
Simon & Schuster; 1992; and other sources.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND EMF INFORMATION SOURCES

Becker, Robert O., Cross Currents: The Perils of Electro-
pollution, The Promise of Electromedicine, Jeremy P. Tarcher
Inc., Los Angeles, CA, 336 pp., 1990.

Becker, Robert O., & Andrew A. Marino, Electromagnetism and Life,
SUNY Press, Albany, NY, 1982.

Becker, Robert O., & Gary Seldon, The Body Electric: Electro-
magnetism and the Foundation of Life, William Morrow and Company,
Inc., New York, NY, 1985.

Bridlewood Residents Hydro Line Committee, Bibliography on
Electromagnetic Radiation and Health, over 700 entries - updated
regularly.  [May be requested via e-mail from
"ab190@freenet.carleton.ca"]

Brodeur, Paul, Currents of Death: Power Lines, Computer Terminals
and the Attempt to Cover Up Their Threat to Your Health, Simon
and Schuster, New York, NY, 333 pp., 1989.

Casper, B.M., and P.D. Wellstone, Powerline: The First Battle in
America's Energy War, University of Massachusetts Press, Amherst,
Mass., 1981.

Coghill, Roger, Electropollution: How To Protect Yourself from
It, Thorsons Publishing Group, Wellingborough, U.K., 192 pp.,
1990.

Electric Power Research Institute, EMF and Human Health, A
Reprint, EPRI Journal, October/November, 1987.

Electromagnetic Field Health Report, serial, Information Ventures
Inc., Philadelphia, PA, USA, June 1993-.

Electromagnetic Field Litigation Reporter, "The monthly journal
of record of litigation involving power lines, cellular
telephones, radar apparatus and other EMF-emitting products",
Andrews Publications, Westtown, PA, USA., May 1993-.

EMF Papers, biweekly clipping service on non-ionizing radiation,
for information contact Louis Slesin at (212) 517-2800.

Feychting, Maria, & Anders Ahlbom, Magnetic Fields and Cancer in
People Residing Near Swedish High Voltage Power Lines, Institutet
for Miljomedicin, (IMM-rapport 6/92), Stockholm, Sweden, 1992

Landsbergis, Paul, & Eric Scherzer, A Worker's Guide to Electro-
magnetic Radiation, booklet, Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers
(OCAW) Union 8 Resource Centre, 1155 W. Chestnut St., Union, NJ,
07083, 1990.

London, S.J., D.C. Thomas, J.D. Bowman, E. Sobel, & J.M. Peters,
"Exposure to Residential Electric and Magnetic Fields and Risk of
Childhood Leukemia", American Journal of Epidemiology, 134, 923-
37, 1991.

Marino, Andrew A., ed., Modern Bioelectricity, Marcel Dekker,
Inc., New York, NY, 1136 pp., 1988.

Marino, Andrew A. & Joel Ray, The Electric Wilderness, San
Francisco Press, San Francisco, CA, 120 pp. 1986.

Microwave News: A Report on Non-Ionizing Radiation, Louis Slesin,
ed. and publisher, P.O. Box 1799, Grand Central Station, New
York, NY, 10163, (bimonthly).

Morgan, M.G. Electric and Magnetic Fields from 60 Hertz Electric
Power: What Do We Know About Possible Health Risks?, brochure, 45
pp., Department of Engineering and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon
University, Pittsburgh, PA, 1989.

National Electrical Manufacturers Association (United States),
Biological Effects of Electric and Magnetic Fields, brochure,
1991.

National Health and Welfare Department (Canada), Working Group on
Electric and Magnetic ELF Fields, Electric and Magnetic Fields
and Your Health: A Report, May 1989.

New York State Power Lines Project, Scientific Advisory Panel,
Biological Effects of Power Lines: Final Report, New York State
Department of Health, New York, NY, July 1987.

Ontario Hydro, Electric and Magnetic Fields and Human Health
Research, brochure.

Peters, J., "Childhood Leukemia and Exposure to Electricity",
American Journal of Epidemiology, pp. 215-230, November 1991.

Savitz, David A., Case-Control Study of Childhood Cancer and
Residential Exposure to Electric and Magnetic Fields, Final
Report to New York State Power Lines Project, 1987.

Smith, Cyril W., & Simon Best, Electromagnetic Man: Health &
Hazard in the Electrical Environment, J.M. Dent & Sons Ltd.,
London, U.K., 344 pp., 1989.

Sugarman, Ellen, WARNING: The Electricity Around You May Be
Hazardous to Your Health - How to Protect Yourself from
Electromagnetic Fields, A Fireside Book, Simon & Schuster, New
York, 238 pp., 1992.

Tomenius, L., "50-Hz Electromagnetic Environment and the
Incidence of Childhood Cancers in Stockholm County",
Bioelectromagnetics, 7, pp. 191-207, 1986.

United States Congressional Office of Technology Assessment
(OTA), Biological Effects of Power Frequency Electric and
Magnetic Fields, report, June 19, 1989.

United States Environmental Protection Agency, EMF In Your
Environment, booklet, 1993.

United States Environmental Protection Agency, Evaluation of the
Potential Carcinogenicity of Electromagnetic Fields, External
Review Draft, No. EPA/600/6-90/005B, October 1990.

Wertheimer, Nancy, & Ed Leeper, "Electrical Wiring Configurations
and Childhood Cancer", American Journal of Epidemiology, Vol.
109(3), 273-284, 1979. 

Young, L.B., Power Over People, Oxford University Press, London,
England, 1973.

Organizations

Bridlewood Residents Hydro Line Committee 23 Riding Way, Kanata,
Ontario, K2M 1C3   (NATIONAL CAPITAL FREENET: ab190 - INTERNET:
ab190@freenet.carleton.ca)

Electric Power Research Institute (industry funded) 3412 Hillview
Ave., P.O. Box 10412, Palo Alto CA, 94303, United States
 
National EMR Alliance 16269 11 Mile Road, Battle Creek, MI,
49017, United States

Ontario Hydro, 700 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1X6

     On May 16, 1992, the first National Conference on Citizen
and Union Action was convened in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Co-
sponsored by the Robert Carl Strom Foundation and the Michigan
Safe Energy Fund and attended by over 100 individuals and
representatives of local citizen action organizations and unions,
the Conference was a resounding success. The Conference
participants heard panels on the biological effects of
electromagnetic radiation, on the efforts of citizens groups to
oppose powerline construction and a panel on electromagnetic
radiation (EMR) exposures at the workplace. In each of these
panel discussions Conference participants were able to share
valuable information about the ways in which electromagnetic
radiation can be hazardous to our health and the tactics and
strategies that have been successful in calling public attention
to EMR's health hazards and in reducing, minimizing or
eliminating exposure of living things to those hazards. At the
end of the Conference, a motion was unanimously passed to create
a National Alliance of local citizens groups in order to share
resources, network on important local and national issues,
publish a newsletter and call into being a national
organizational form for accomplishing these goals.

     On Sunday, May 17, 1992, a group of individuals and
representatives of citizens groups convened in order to discuss
the tasks and steps to be taken to create this National Alliance.
It was decided that Michael Withey, on behalf of the Robert Carl
Strom Foundation, Cathy Smith on behalf of Michigan Safe Energy
Project and Clare Fogelsong on behalf of the Neighbours Opposed
to Powerline Encroachment were authorized to prepare this
proposal for creating the National EMR Alliance. This document
sets forth the political conception, principles of unity and
proposed organizational structure for this National Alliance.

     In the past several years, health concerns about the hazards
of electromagnetic radiation have risen dramatically. Numerous
articles in both the scientific and popular literature have
identified a clear and unmistakeable trend in scientific thought
that identifies electromagnetic radiation at levels experienced
by people in their homes and workplace as having hazardous
potential to life. Research work done in the realm of
epidemiology (including both residential and occupational
studies), animal studies, biophysics, cell level research and
cancer causation work have combined to produce a reputable body
of scientific research which provides clear support for the
hypothesis that electromagnetic radiation is hazardous to human
health and can cause cancer. Articles in the popular literature,
including the publication of Paul Brodeur's book, Currents of
Death, his articles in The New Yorker, and Dr. Robert Becker's
book, Cross Currents, together with numerous magazine and
newspaper articles, have pointed out how many Americans who are
exposed to electromagnetic radiation at home and at work have
begun to take seriously the need to protect the public health.
Reports of cancer clusters among utility workers, leukemia deaths
of children living near powerlines, cancer clusters near
substations, birth defects and adverse pregnancy outcomes by
women working with VDTs, testicular and other cancers experienced
by police officers who use radar, etc., have all heightened
concerns that efforts be taken now to protect our children and
ourselves from EMR.

     As a result of this wave of concern, numerous organizations
on a local level have organized in order to protect themselves
and their children from the adverse biological effects of
electromagnetic radiation. These organizations include those
local groups opposed to the construction of powerlines,
transmission lines, substations and other sources of
electromagnetic radiation in our homes, neighbourhoods and
communities. This movement has included concerted action by
unions and employees (including utility and telephone utility
workers unions, VDT operators, police radar technicians, MRI
technicians, etc.) to call for measures designed to assess these
workers' exposure to electromagnetic radiation to determine
whether excess cancer or disease effects have occurred and to
require employers to provide medical monitoring for their
employees.

     In addition, a number of public interest-minded attorneys
associated with the Trial Lawyers for Public Justice ("TLPJ")
Foundation have initiated precedent-setting lawsuits seeking
compensation for the victims of electromagnetic radiation. One
such TLPJ lawsuit, Strom v. Boeing, resulted in a favourable
settlement out of which Bob Strom and his family created the
Robert Carl Strom Foundation.

     These three trends in the scientific realm, the citizen
action movement, and the public interest plaintiffs trial bar
came together for the Ann Arbor conference. In response to these
developing trends, the electric utility industry and
manufacturers of products giving off electromagnetic radiation
continue to deny the health hazards and biological effects of
EMR. Claiming that the scientific evidence is "inconclusive" and
the "jury is still out," some in the electric utility industry
and product manufacturers have dragged their feet on taking steps
to reduce, minimize or eliminate hazardous forms of EMR in our
homes and workplace. Through the Electric Power Research
Institute (EPRI), the electric utility industry has attempted to
dominate the funding for bioeffects research and has sought to
discredit or defund those researchers whose studies show a
positive effect of electromagnetic radiation on biological
systems. EPRI is heavily funded and is engaged in a national
coordinated public relations campaign seeking to dissuade the
public from health concerns about EMR. 

     In recent years, a split has developed from within the
electric utility industry on the EMR public health debate. A
group of utilities have followed the lead of Granger Morgan of
the Carnegie Mellon Institute, who authored an assessment of EMR
for the Office of Technological Assessment of the U.S. Congress.
Morgan calls for a utility policy of prudent avoidance, i.e., to
take no or low cost steps to reduce exposure to EMR. He bases
this policy on the medical evidence which, though "inconclusive"
(in his view), warrants concern and further research. Morgan's
call for prudent avoidance has been picked up by the more
visionary utilities.

     Others in the industry are critical of prudent avoidance as
a policy. Taking a "head in the sand" approach, these utilities
refuse to admit there are any adverse health effects.

     We believe our approach must be to urge mitigation steps
that go beyond a "no or low cost" approach. At the same time, we
must be mindful of the differences of opinion within the electric
utilities and encourage those who advocate prudent avoidance to
increase their commitment to protecting the public health.

     On a local level, citizens and union groups are engaged in a
wide variety of activities, most with little national
coordination or exchange of information. Citizen action groups
seeking to stop powerline construction have sprung up throughout
the country, doing battle with their local utility at the Public
Utility Commission hearings, city or county hearing boards,
legislative bodies, and even through the initiative process.
These groups have organized, raised funds, held informational
meetings, provided testimony before administrative and
legislative bodies, published newsletters and held press
conferences. They have been opposed by powerful and well-heeled
efforts by electric utilities and manufacturers. In many
instances, these local citizen and union groups had to reinvent
the wheel. Although important lessons have been learned and
valuable victories have been won, these lessons and victories
cannot easily be appropriated by other citizen and union groups
around the country. Indeed, no national environmental or consumer
organization has taken up the fight to rid our communities of the
health hazards of electromagnetic radiation.

     It was the consensus at the Ann Arbor conference that a
national alliance of citizen and union groups would play a vital
role in enhancing communications amongst the grassroots
organizations, providing a network for the exchange of
information and resources, and conducting selective national
campaigns at the crucial junctures in the common interest.

     Based on this historical background, the proposal was put
forth and adopted to create a National Alliance with the
following principles of unity:

     1. We believe that electromagnetic radiation can be
hazardous to life, and constitutes a significant threat to the
public health.

     2. We are in favour of local, regional and national efforts
to reduce, mitigate and, where possible, eliminate hazardous
exposures to electromagnetic radiation.

     3. To organize and coordinate these efforts, a national
alliance of representatives of local citizen and union/workplace
organizations is needed to exchange information, educate the
public, and to conduct selective national campaigns.

     The National EMR Alliance plans to hold a founding
convention in the fall of 1993.

(Documents Dated: 93/10/12)


