Cell Towers

The Financial, Health, and Environmental Risks

The Financial Risks

The Numbers Don't Add Up

Town Gains Town Losses$100k/yr lease $350k purchase of luxury

open space$850k from education cuts

More kids slip through cracks

Parking spaces TeachersFor Sale signs Educational standards &

property values120 ft Cell Tower Tree Destroys environment &

natural aesthetic charmImproves cell coverage within a 1.25 to 1.5 mile radius

Lowers property values within a 1.25 to 1.5 mile radius

The Perception Problem

“EMF have diminished the value of the property, because the public

fears regarding EMF reduce the amount buyers will pay for a property

subjected to such exposure.”

Real Estate Finance Journal, Summer 2002

“If your home is near a cell antenna, the value of your

property is going down at least 4 percent. Depending on the size of the tower and the proximity, it is

going down 10 percent.”

Andrew J. Campanelli, a civil rights lawyer in Garden City, representing residents against T-Mobile application in South Huntington.

NY Times - A Pushback Against Cell Towers, 8/29/10

The Beautification Project

“That funny tree — the tower — could be around 120 feet tall.”

Rudy Marconi

The Ridgefield Press - March 23, 2011

“The Cell Tower would be an'Attractive Nuisance'

and Tempt Kids to Climb itand Possibly Get Hurt.”

Doug Loranger, Coalition for Local Oversight of Utility Technologies

The Health Risks

The EcologistThe world's most respected

environmental affairs magazine.

Dec/Jan 2008 Issue

The following peer-reviewed studies on health effects from cell towers ("mobile phone masts" in U.K. parlance) and other sources of RF radiation were included in the report.

: 530 people living near to mobile phone masts reported more symptoms of headache, sleep disturbance, discomfort, irritability, depression, memory loss, and concentration problems the closer they lived to the mast.

: 97 people living near to mobile phone masts reported more symptoms of fatigue, irritability, headaches, nausea, loss of memory, visual disorder, dizziness and cardiovascular problems the higher their level of microwave exposure.

: A three-fold increase in the incidence of malignant tumours was found after 5 years exposure in people living 400 metres from a mobile phone mast.

: A four-fold increase in the incidence of cancer among residents living near a mobile phone mast for between 3 and 7 years was detected. (more)

The Ecologist - http://www.theecologist.org

The Ecologist - http://www.theecologist.org

: A four year study on human cells found that, after exposure to low-power microwaves, the cells showed signs of DNA damage and mutations which were passed on to the next generation.

: 365 people living near to mobile phone masts reported higher incidences of headaches the greater the closer they lived to the masts.

: Research conducted by HPA [Health Protection Agency, UK] chief William Stewart advised that the main beam of a mobile phone mast should not be allowed to fall on any part of a school's grounds.

: Found evidence for increases in immune system damage, central nervous system damage, and reduced cognitive function. Recommends an exposure limit 1000 times power than current guidelines.

: School children living near a radio location station in Latvia suffered reduced motor function, memory and attention spans. (more)

Standards for RF Radiation Exposure from Cell Phone Towers

Mount Shasta Bioregional Ecology Centerhttp://www.mountshastaecology.org

RF Radiation Exposure Standards From Cell Towers

Radiation Exposure Country Microwatts

Lowest New Zealand .02

Salzburg, Austria .1

Switzerland 4

China 6

Russia 10

Italy 10

Toronto, Canada 10

Australia 200

Highest U.S. 580 to 1,000

The Environmental Risks

“Because the electromagnetic (EM) environment of the earth has changed radically in the past two centuries, this study investigates the possibility that

anthropogenic changes in this environment, particularly in the radio

frequency (RF) spectrum, are adversely affecting growth and health of aspen

populations, making them vulnerable to decline.”

International Journal of Forestry ResearchAccepted 17 February 2010

“Since 2004, incidents of very rapid aspen clone mortality have

been seen in Colorado [10].”

International Journal of Forestry ResearchAccepted 17 February 2010

“Adverse Influence of Radio Frequency Background on Trembling Aspen Seedlings Preliminary Observations:”

International Journal of Forestry ResearchAccepted 17 February 2010

Figure 4: Mock-shielded seedling, exhibiting yellow leaf coloration and brown lesions, Oct. 6, 2007.

International Journal of Forestry ResearchAccepted 17 February 2010

“The Ridgefield Town Tree Committee’s mission is to encourage the town to commit community

effort and resources to preserving and improving our trees and greenscape. Our goal is to establish and maintain an optimum, stable,

and safe public tree and plant environment, thereby enhancing Ridgefield’s historic

character: esthetic, natural, and economic.”

FORESTRY MANAGEMENT PLANRidgefield, CT - Fall, 2003, Revised Edition

Still Many Questions

-Environmental Studies Conducted?-Balloon Tests?

-Control of Equipment/Batteries?-How Many Antennas/Service Providers?

-Overlapping Service Areas?-Safe Distance from Homes?-Guarantee No Dead Zones?

-Financial Effect on Neighborhoods?

Keep Cell Towersout of

Ridgefield'sNeighborhoods

Sign the Online PetitionNow!

Your NeighborhoodCould Be Next!