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 ●More kids slip through

cuts cracks
●Parking spaces ●Teachers

●For Sale signs ●Educational standards &

property values
● 120 ft Cell Tower Tree ●Destroys environment &

natural aesthetic charm

●Improves cell coverage ●Lowers property values

within a 1.25 to 1.5 mile within a 1.25 to 1.5 mile

radius radius
The Perception Problem
 Real Estate Finance Journal, Summer 2002

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

“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.
The Beautification Project
 “That funny tree — the tower
— could be around 120 feet tall.”
Rudy Marconi

The Ridgefield Press - March 23, 2011

 Doug Loranger,
Coalition for Local Oversight of Utility Technologies

“The Cell Tower would be an

'Attractive Nuisance'
and Tempt Kids to Climb it
and Possibly Get Hurt.”
The Health Risks
 The Ecologist
The world's most respected
environmental affairs magazine.

Dec/Jan 2008 Issue

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

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

: 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 Center
http://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
 International Journal of Forestry Research
Accepted 17 February 2010

“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 Research
Accepted 17 February 2010

“Since 2004, incidents of very

rapid aspen clone mortality have
been seen in Colorado [10].”
 International Journal of Forestry Research
Accepted 17 February 2010

“Adverse Influence of Radio

Frequency Background on
Trembling Aspen Seedlings
Preliminary Observations:”
Figure 4: Mock-shielded seedling, exhibiting yellow leaf
coloration and brown lesions, Oct. 6, 2007.
FORESTRY MANAGEMENT PLAN
Ridgefield, CT - Fall, 2003, Revised Edition

“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.”
 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 Towers
out of
Ridgefield's
Neighborhoods
Sign the Online Petition
Now!
Your Neighborhood
Could Be Next!