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August 7, 2008

By Matthew Burrows

http://www.straight.com/article-156587/parents-oppose-power-lines

Tsawwassen parent Heather Colls Wahlberg doesn’t relish the prospect of B.C. Transmission Corporation power lines being “six metres” from the library at Tsawwassen’s only high school.

She told the Georgia Straight that for this reason she will withdraw her son and daughter, aged 13 and 14, respectively, from grades 8 and 9 at South Delta secondary school. As spokesperson for the fledgling group Mothers Against Power Poles, she said she is not willing to send her kids to the school this fall, “given the risks that exist”.

“We also have a petition with 400 signatures of parents saying they are not intending on sending their children to the high school,” Colls Wahlberg said by phone. “There are 1,200 kids, and I know that 71 applications to transfer out of the school have been picked up [by parents].”

According to the application for an environmental-assessment certificate filed by the BCTC in 2006, the new power lines will replace a 138-kilovolt transmission interconnection circuit between the Arnott Substation in Delta and the Vancouver Island Terminal in North Cowichan. The project received approval from the B.C. Utilities Commission in July 2006 and the Ministry of Environment in February 2007.

In December 2007, the Supreme Court of Canada denied an application by the group Tsawwassen Residents Against Higher Voltage Overhead Lines to appeal a B.C. Court of Appeal judgment in favour of the project. Protests ensued, leading to a court-ordered injunction in June of this year to allow work to continue. In a July 10 ruling, B.C. Supreme Court justice Ian Pitfield asked that named defendants Lloyd Lemoignan, Sharon Lemoignan, Christina Ryan, Danny Duch, Patricia Purchas, Gregory Fahlman, and Marion Fahlman “respect the order” or face charges of contempt of court.

Now, with the lines set to be energized in fall or early winter, MAPP has formed and Colls Wahlberg said she too is furious, though she has ruled out any plans for civil disobedience.

“These power poles will be conducting 230,000 volts of electrical power over the heads of all of our children and the residences of Tsawwassen,” she said. “They will be upping the voltage to 500,000 volts of power. One of the poles is in the process of being put up in the parking lot of the only high school in all of Tsawwassen. So, 1,200 students and all of the staff and all of the parents who have to go to this school on a daily basis…will be right underneath these massive power lines and the dangers associated with them.”

Juri Jatskevich, UBC associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, told the Straight that the risks associated with electromagnetic radiation and power lines are “still being studied”.

“In general, it is low-frequency emissions [associated with power lines], and I don’t think there are studies or evidence that link to some health consequences,” Jatskevich said. “But it is still being studied.…Somebody should do an expert evaluation on that. Over the phone I can’t do an expert evaluation. Those things have legal implications, and I cannot say anything in that regard.”

BCTC spokesperson Chris Rathbone told the Straight that the Crown corporation has looked at studies done over the past 30 years “available through the World Health Organization and other sorts of similar bodies”.

“All the measurements are taken directly under the power line and progressively further away from the power line,” he said. “So, in terms of exposure and effects, we look to the health experts to guide us.…We strive to exceed those guidelines.”

But Colls Wahlberg said her mind is made up, and she’ll enroll her kids in another Delta school.

“It is hugely inconvenient,” she said. “I don’t care so much about the costs, but I am concerned about the effects that will have on my children. They will be removed from the community schools and from all their friendships that they have made over 13 years.”

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Be careful with cell phones

More research is needed to know if they're safe

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

By Devra L. Davis

University of Pittsburgh physics professor Eric Swanson doesn't use a cell phone (because he finds them annoying), but he assures us that cell phones cannot cause cancer mainly because cell phone radiation is not known to damage DNA ("Stop Freaking Out About Cell Phones!," Forum, Aug. 3). He is mistaken.

First of all, cancer can occur without direct damage to DNA. This is what happens with cancers arising from hormone replacement therapy and asbestos.

Second, more than a thousand studies find that cell signals can affect the ability of our genes to protect us, impairing responses to stress, heavy metals and toxic chemicals.

Contrary to what Mr. Swanson asserts, cell phones might cause cancer without directly damaging DNA or breaking chemical bonds. This is understood by the 23 renowned cancer biologists who recently signed a cautionary advisory on cell phones.

With half of the world using cell phones, no one seriously suggests that this revolutionary, life-saving tool should be put back into the bottle. But we need to be sure that this essential technology becomes as safe as possible.

It's better to be safe than sorry and to reduce direct exposure to cell phone radiation by using head sets and speakerphones. Meanwhile, electrical engineers can continue to lower the amount of radiation to which we are exposed and we scientists can more fully evaluate the impact of cell phones on public health.

Just last week the Israeli Health Ministry expanded on a previous public advisory by suggesting that children's use of cell phones be limited. This was based on the recent warning to UPMC staff from the highly respected Dr. Ronald B. Herberman, director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. Health authorities in England, Germany and France have issued similar warnings.

I agree with Mr. Swanson that neurosurgeons are not necessarily qualified to conduct or opine on statistical studies, but neither are physicists like himself suited to disclaim theories of cancer offered by other scientists.

When DNA is damaged, cells can get signals to grow uncontrollably, which can lead to more than 200 forms of cancer. But sometimes cancer occurs without direct damage to DNA. For instance, when asbestos is inhaled deeply into the lung, it can cause inflammation that triggers cancer several decades later. Prenatal hormonal stimulation can lead to cancer in middle age.

Yes, human studies on cell phone use and cancer are incomplete and inconsistent. But the cell phone industries' own studies show that the cell signal is absorbed deeply into the brains of children, and up to 2 inches into an adult skull. Most cell phone manuals, which are seldom read, recommend keeping the phone an inch from the ear and not directly against the body. Sensible precautions for those concerned about cell phones can be found on the Web sites of the Food and Drug Administration, the National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society.

Some studies of populations that have used cell phones for longer periods of time have found a doubled risk of serious brain tumors. Other studies have found subtle disturbances in brain chemistry and possibly lowered sperm count.

In 1990, about 1 in 10 Americans used cell phones for limited periods of time. Nine times more Americans use cell phones today, and for much longer periods. Brain cancer and other possible chronic ailments can take a decade or longer to develop.

The absence of definitive evidence in this instance should not be confused with proof of safety; rather, it reflects the hard realities of the modern world where we introduce new technologies before evaluating their potential impact on our lives.

Good public health practice requires that we take prudent precautions to limit exposure to cell phone radiation. Meanwhile, as engineers continue to refine the technology, research should proceed to clarify whether newer phones pose the same risk as older ones.

The full cooperation of the cell phone industry would help a great deal in pursuing ...

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