Mobile phone mast scuppered by £200 Citizen
Epidemiology survey
Local Council votes Orange out three times; Orange not
to appeal.
Orange has withdrawn its application to install a
mobile phone transmitter in the tower of St. Michael's
church in Aberystwyth, Wales, UK. This unexpected
development comes immediately after Green Audit
(LLRC's scientific advisers) began a local health
survey.
LLRC funds health questionnaire
Dr. Chris Busby of Green Audit said "We set out to
discover the baseline of health before the microwave
transmissions could begin. We intended to do a
follow-up survey after the mast went into operation."
The Low Level Radiation Campaign felt that this was an
opportunity for sound epidemiology. Since the study
population would be identical to the control, the only
difference would be the microwave exposure. This
approach would provide reliable data on the effects.
Funded by LLRC, Green Audit designed a questionnaire
and distributed it to a sample of houses in the area.
We have used this method to monitor the effects of
radioactive contamination in other parts of the United
Kingdom and Ireland.
In Aberystwyth the initial survey was to be followed
up a few weeks after the mast began transmitting at
full power. Green Audit also planned to measure local
field intensities.
Background
Local opposition to the transmitter was strong because
St. Michael's church, where it was to be sited, is in
a residential area and close to Castle Park, a popular
children's playground and tourist attraction. There is
evidence that living near such transmission antennae
causes a range of health effects, from leukaemia and
lymphoma to neurological symptoms like sleep
disturbances, headaches, and depression. A paper
outlining the scientific issues was sent to the local
council (Ceredigion District Council) in September
last year. The Council rejected the application three
times.
Surprise rejection
The last rejection was a surprise development because
it was expected that the applicants (Orange and the
Rector of St. Michael's, Reverend Stuart Bell whose
church was in line to receive annual payments of
£5000) would thereafter appeal to the Welsh Assembly
Government in Cardiff. The Health Protection Agency
would have advised that there was no measurable health
threat, Orange would have won the appeal, and costs in
the region of £30,000 35,000 would have been awarded
against Ceredigion District Council. But it looks as
if Councillors had the courage to stand up to these
bullying tactics.
Surprise retreat
Immediately following the commencement of the health
survey, the Council has written to Green Audit to say
that Orange and the Rector are not appealing; they
have withdrawn the application.
Precedent
This could be a useful precedent. LLRC does not
usually address non-ionising radiation but this looks
like a case where just a whiff of good epidemiology,
independent of industry funding and reviewers' bias
and backed up by the implicit threat that (as usual)
we would go straight to the press and the internet to
release the results, has been enough to overcome the
bad science that characterises radiation risk.
Chris Busby's recently published Wolves of Water,
(which LLRC calls a Science Wars Combat Manual) has
information about how and where we have used
questionnaire surveys, like the Aberystwyth Orange
study. (see
http://www.llrc.org/wings/subtopic/wolves.htm)
The paper which Chris Busby and Roger Coghill sent to
Ceredigion Councillors in September 2006 is on the
LLRC website http://www.llrc.org. Scroll down to the
Mobile phones button on the left and follow the links.
Background information on the Aberystwyth application
from a September 2006 Cambrian News report
http://www.aberystwyth-today.co.uk/today/options/news/newsdetail.cfm?id=132925&hididarch=archive
Low Level Radiation Campaign needs money. Please
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--- Begin Message ---
Mobile phone mast scuppered by £200 Citizen Epidemiology survey
Local Council votes Orange out three times; Orange not to appeal.
Orange has withdrawn its application to install a mobile phone transmitter in
the tower of St. Michael's church in Aberystwyth, Wales, UK. This unexpected
development comes immediately after Green Audit (LLRC's scientific advisers)
began a local health survey.
LLRC funds health questionnaire
Dr. Chris Busby of Green Audit said "We set out to discover the baseline of
health before the microwave transmissions could begin. We intended to do a
follow-up survey after the mast went into operation."
The Low Level Radiation Campaign felt that this was an opportunity for sound
epidemiology. Since the study population would be identical to the control, the
only difference would be the microwave exposure. This approach would provide
reliable data on the effects.
Funded by LLRC, Green Audit designed a questionnaire and distributed it to a
sample of houses in the area. We have used this method to monitor the effects
of radioactive contamination in other parts of the United Kingdom and Ireland.
In Aberystwyth the initial survey was to be followed up a few weeks after the
mast began transmitting at full power. Green Audit also planned to measure
local field intensities.
Background
Local opposition to the transmitter was strong because St. Michael's church,
where it was to be sited, is in a residential area and close to Castle Park, a
popular children's playground and tourist attraction. There is evidence that
living near such transmission antennae causes a range of health effects, from
leukaemia and lymphoma to neurological symptoms like sleep disturbances,
headaches, and depression. A paper outlining the scientific issues was sent to
the local council (Ceredigion District Council) in September last year. The
Council rejected the application three times.
Surprise rejection
The last rejection was a surprise development because it was expected that the
applicants (Orange and the Rector of St. Michael's, Reverend Stuart Bell whose
church was in line to receive annual payments of £5000) would thereafter appeal
to the Welsh Assembly Government in Cardiff. The Health Protection Agency would
have advised that there was no measurable health threat, Orange would have won
the appeal, and costs in the region of £30,000 - 35,000 would have been awarded
against Ceredigion District Council. But it looks as if Councillors had the
courage to stand up to these bullying tactics.
Surprise retreat
Immediately following the commencement of the health survey, the Council has
written to Green Audit to say that Orange and the Rector are not appealing;
they have withdrawn the application.
Precedent
This could be a useful precedent. LLRC does not usually address non-ionising
radiation but this looks like a case where just a whiff of good epidemiology,
independent of industry funding and reviewers' bias and backed up by the
implicit threat that (as usual) we would go straight to the press and the
internet to release the results, has been enough to overcome the bad science
that characterises radiation risk.
Chris Busby's recently published Wolves of Water, (which LLRC calls a Science
Wars Combat Manual) has information about how and where we have used
questionnaire surveys, like the Aberystwyth Orange study. (see
http://www.llrc.org/wings/subtopic/wolves.htm)
The paper which Chris Busby and Roger Coghill sent to Ceredigion Councillors in
September 2006 is on the LLRC website http://www.llrc.org. Scroll down to the
Mobile phones button on the left and follow the links.
Background information on the Aberystwyth application from a September 2006
Cambrian News report -
http://www.aberystwyth-today.co.uk/today/options/news/newsdetail.cfm?id=132925&hididarch=archive
Low Level Radiation Campaign needs money. Please consider a donation. Clicking
on the mess of text below takes you to our Paypal account, which is a safe way
to send money and costs you nothing.
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_xclick&business=bramhall%40llrc%2eorg&no_shipping=0&no_note=1&tax=0¤cy_code=GBP&bn=PP%2dDonationsBF&charset=UTF%2d8
We have sent you this email circular because you are on our database of people
who are concerned about low level radiation and health. This message has been
sent to our UK list and our global list.
If you do not want to receive information from us please reply, putting "remove
from LLRC" in the subject line.
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
--- End Message ---
