U.S. WIRELESS CARRIERS ARE
AGGRESSIVELY EXPANDING THEIR 5G
NETWORKS.
BUT THERE ARE STILL NO STUDIES
ABOUT HOW SAFE THE TECHNOLOGY
REALLY IS.
THE ISSUE HAS DIVIDED
COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE BAY
AREA. Reporter: HERE IN PALO
ALTO SOME RESIDENTS THOUGHT
LONG AND HARD TO SLOW THE
SPREAD OF WIRELESS ANTENNAS IN
THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS.
THE CITY RELEASED A NEW
WIRELESS ORDINANCE THAT STEERS
5G RESIDENTIAL TOWERS AWAY FROM
RESIDENTIAL AREAS.
FOR EVERYONE ELSE, IT IS 20
FEET INCLUDING HOMES FOR
SENIORS.
I THINK IT IS OUTRAGEOUS.
CHRISTOPHER BELL FIRST
NOTICED IT LAST SPRING, A SMALL
5G CELL TOWER RIGHT NEXT TO
CHAINING HOUSE, THE RETIREMENT
HOME WHERE HIS PARENTS LIVED.
CHRIS STARTED ASKING QUESTIONS
ABOUT IT AND SAYS AN EMPLOYEE
WITH AT&T WHICH OWNS THE 5G
INSTALLATION TOLD HIM --
IF YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT THE
SMALL CELL NO DUE OR TO BE MORE
WORRIED ABOUT THE TOWER ON TOP
OF THE CHAINING HOUSE.
IT TURNS OUT IT IS ALSO HOME
TO A 4G WIRELESS CELL TOWER ON
THE ROOF INSTALLED BACK IN
2006.
MY PARENTS AND OTHER
RESIDENTS NEVER HAD THIS
DISCLOSED TO THEM.
THERE IS NO STRONG EVIDENCE
THAT RADIOFREQUENCY WAVES CAUSE
ANY NOTICEABLE HEALTH EFFECTS.
BUT IT SAYS MORE RESEARCH IS
NEEDED, ESPECIALLY FOR ANY
POSSIBLE, LONG-TERM EFFECTS.
I THINK IT'S THE UNKNOWN.
WE DON'T HAVE DEFINITIVE
ANSWERS.
RESPONDING TO RESIDENTS
CONCERNS, CHAINING HOUSE HIRED
A CONSULTANT TO TEST THE
ROOFTOP TOWER AND THE RESULTS
CAME BACK WAY LOWER THAN THE
EXPOSURE LIMITS DEEMED SAFE.
BUT THOSE LIMITS SET BY THE FCC
IN 1996 ARE OUTDATED.
IT IS JUST A GIANT EXPANSION
ON THE POPULATION.
HUNDREDS OF PEER REVIEWED
STUDIES FROM 41 COUNTRIES HAVE
FOUND THAT EXPOSURE TO RADIO
FREQUENCY TOWERS LIKE THE ONE
ON TOP OF THE CHAINING HOUSE
CAN HAVE SERIOUS HEALTH
IMPACTS.
WHAT PEOPLE DESCRIBE AS
BRAIN FOG, CONFUSION, A WHOLE
RANGE OF SYMPTOMS HAS BEEN
ASSOCIATED WITH THE LONG-TERM
EXPOSURE TO CELL PHONE
RADIATION.
AS PER THE NEW 5G TOWERS,
THERE HAVE BEEN NO STUDIES AT
ALL TO DATE ON POTENTIAL HEALTH
IMPACTS.
5G USES SLOWER MICROWAVES AND
FASTER MILLIMETER WAVES.
THOUSANDS OF SCIENTISTS AND
DOCTORS HAVE SIGNED APPEALS
CALLING ON GOVERNMENTS AT LEAST
TO ESTABLISH A MORATORIUM UNTIL
WE CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT THE
HAZARDS ARE. BUT THE WIRELESS
MEDICATION INITIATIVE SAYS
PEOPLE'S FEAR OF EXPOSURE TO
RADIATION FROM CELL PHONE
TOWERS IS UNFOUNDED.
YOU WOULD EXPECT IT TO BE
SHOWING UP IN THE POPULATION BY
NOW.
WHILE HUNDREDS OF STUDIES
HAVE FOUND HEALTH IMPACTS,
HUNDREDS OF OTHERS REFUTE THEM.
AND HE POINTS OUT CITIES DO NOT
CONSIDER HEALTH WHEN PERMITTING
EQUIPMENT.
THE GUIDANCE ON HEALTH IS A
FEDERAL MATTER AND AS LONG AS
YOU REMAIN WITHIN THE
GUIDELINES SET FORTH BY THE
SEC, THEN YOU CANNOT DENY A
PERMIT OR APPLICATION FOR A
SITE BASED SIMPLY UPON THE FACT
THAT A GROUP OF CITIZENS
BELIEVES IT'S UNSAFE.
NOT ONLY THAT, THE FCC
REQUIRES CITIES TO GRANT
PERMITS FOR CELL SITES PASTOR
TO HELP SPEED UP THE 5G
ROLLOUT.
WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS IS
AN EXTREMELY CRITICAL PART OF
THE 21st CENTURY LIFE.
THE CHAINING HOUSE TURN DOWN
OUR REQUEST FOR AN INTERVIEW
BUT IN INTERMITTENT EMAIL SHE
SAID I WOULD BE SURPRISED THAT
THEY WERE NOT NOTIFIED IN 2006.
AS FOR THE SMALL CELL TOWER
OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING,
CHAINING HOUSE WAS NOT
CONSULTED ABOUT IT.
CHAINING HAS MAKES ABOUT
$36,000 A YEAR FROM LEASING ITS
ROOF TO T-MOBILE.
A LADY LET A PETITION TO
TERMINATE THE CONTRACT.
I THINK IT IS A RISK.
I DON'T KNOW WHY WE NEED TO
TAKE THAT RISK FOR $36,000 A
YEAR.
SHE SAYS SHE IS LOCKED IN FOR
ANOTHER 12 YEARS AND ONLY T-
MOBILE CAN BREAK THE CONTRACT.
YOU CAN RELOCATE THIS
EQUIPMENT SOMEWHERE ELSE NOT
WHERE SENIORS LIVE 24/7.
THEY DESERVE THAT RESPECT.
AND THE WIRELESS ORDINANCE
DOES HAVE A RESIDENTIAL ZONE OF
EXCLUSION BUT EXCEPTIONS CAN BE
MADE TO ALLOW SOME WIRELESS
COMMUNICATION FACILITIES JUST
20 FEET FROM HOMES.
THERE'S ALSO AN EXCEPTION FOR
THAT 600 FOOT SETBACK FOR
