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Marin County Civic Center

Please Help Prevent Potentially Harmful 5G Small Cell Towers On Telephone Poles Near You

Posted by: Sharon Rushton - September 16, 2018 - 7:04 PM PDT

Please speak during "Public Open Time" at the Marin County Board of Supervisors meeting on September 18th at 9:00 AM and send letters/emails to the Supervisors to help prevent the installation of potentially harmful 4G and 5G Small Cell Towers on telephone poles near you. Then, please spread the news!

**Scroll down for “TAKE ACTION” suggestions.

ISSUE

Crews have reportedly been stringing cable from telephone pole to telephone pole in preparation for AT&T and Verizon to install potentially harmful Small Cell Towers for 4G and 5G technology in the City of Mill Valley and in Unincorporated Mill Valley. According to crew members, the antennae should be mounted every two to five poles very soon. The roll-out of 5G wireless networks will likely occur in other parts of Marin too (and may already be taking place). In response, the Mill Valley City Council adopted an Urgency Ordinance for Wireless Telecommunications Facilities that, among other regulations, prohibits Wireless Telecommunications Facilities (including Small Cell Facilities) in residential zones. Unfortunately, the County Supervisors have not taken official action. We need your help to convince them to do so.

CONSEQUENCES

Cancer & Health Effects: Serious adverse health effects may result from the round-the-clock millimeter microwave radiation of these small cell antennae. Such millimeter microwave radiation is far more potent than anything previously experienced from the electromagnetic spectrum. Numerous peer-reviewed scientific studies show that radio frequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF), generated by wireless devices, affect living organisms at levels well below most international and national guidelines. Effects include increased cancer risk, DNA damages, neurological disorders, learning and memory deficits, sleeping disorders, headaches, and impaired fertility. The World Health Organization classified microwave radiation from wireless devices as a possible human carcinogen in 2011. In 2016, the US National Toxicology Program released results of the world’s largest study on wireless health risks, finding a significant increase in the incidence of brain and heart cancer in animals exposed to EMF.

For more detailed information:

Degradation Of The Traditional Residential Character Of Marin Neighborhoods: Wireless carriers have the right, under Section 6409(a) of the “Middle-Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act”, to expand their equipment and expand it an unlimited number of times, thereby potentially creating a huge unattractive industrial mess.

Decreased Property Values: A peer-reviewed study published in the 2005 Appraisal Journal, found that homes near cell towers were devalued by 20% to 25%.

Increased Fire Risk: The heavy and bulky “Small Cell Facilities” could overload telephone poles, leading to increased fire risk. For example, Edison and four telecommunication companies were fined for overloading utility poles with antennas and equipment, which caused the poles to collapse and spark the 2007 Malibu Canyon wildfire.

TAKE ACTION: Please do the following...

1. Send letters/ emails to the Marin County Board of Supervisors and copy their Aides - Express concerns about the potentially harmful Small Cell Facilities for 4G and 5G and urge the Supervisors to put the topic "Establish Regulations For Small Cell Facilities" on their Agenda and prevent the installation of Small Cell Facilities in Unincorporated Marin to the greatest degree possible.

Suggested Message:

"Dear Marin County Board of Supervisors,

We are very concerned about the serious adverse health and environmental effects that may be caused by the microwave radiation emitted from 4G and 5G Small Cell Towers. We are also concerned that the Small Cell Facilities could increase fire risks, decrease property values and degrade the traditional residential character of Marin County.

We urge you to act swiftly to: Put the topic of "Establish Regulations for Small Cell Facilities" on your Agenda; Authorize Staff to hire experts in telecommunications law and technology; and Direct the experts to draft regulations for Small Cell Facilities, which would prohibit the installation of Small Cell Facilities in Marin County to the greatest degree possible.

Sincerely,

Your Name"

2. Attend the upcoming Marin County Board of Supervisors' Meeting -

WHAT: Marin County Board of Supervisors Meeting - Speak during "Public Open Time"

WHEN: Tuesday, September 18, 2018 at 9:00 AM

WHERE: Civic Center, 3501 Civic Center Drive, Supervisors' Chambers, Suite 329, San Rafael, CA 94903

** You will be given 3 minutes to speak. For suggested public comments, please review the above "Suggested Message".

3. Spread the news - Send a link to this article to all your email contacts in Marin County and post the link on Facebook, Twitter, Nextdoor and other social media.

Thank you in advance for taking action. Together we can make a difference and protect our community from harmful radiation!