Cell Towers at Schools - Is this a Big Deal?

[Anonymous]

There's a study just out that seems to link proximity to cell phone towers with diabetes.

[Anonymous]

I think unless they have long term studies showing that this is completely safe, they should NOT be able to put these up at schools. Why it is okay to take these risks (fire hazards/random employees on school grounds/possible radiation issues) with KIDS' health? For a few hundred dollars a month?

Surely they can find another location for these towers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At least they're not proposing to put it right on top of the building. If you drive down Wisconsin Ave in NW Wash, opposite the Georgetown Safeway, there's a large cell antenna right on top of the roof at Hardy Middle School. It's the only school in the area that has such a tower. This being DC, you wonder whether some school bureaucrat received a fat envelope from a tower provider. Hardy serves mostly kids from east of Rock Creek Park, who travel across the city. You can be sure that if this were primarily an Upper NW school, the parents would be pressuring DC public schools to get rid of the antenna.

That is pretty unbelievable.

I think Sherwood HS has 3 of these though. Not sure it's necessarily a lower-income neighborhood issue. Just an example of how DCPS and MCPS are able to do much of what they want, unchecked by public opinion.

[Anonymous]

I say only allow the cell tower, if the money actually goes to the schools. You know it's not. Sweetheart deals and the schools still get screwed.

[Anonymous]

It is a health hazard. Did you see this about Wheaton High School?

[Anonymous]

Then the news did a piece on it worth watching as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I say only allow the cell tower, if the money actually goes to the schools. You know it's not. Sweetheart deals and the schools still get screwed.

This is what I was wondering. Does the rent for those towers go right back to that particular school? Or in some general fund to be used for any school in MoCo?

[Anonymous]

The money never ses the loght of day according to other schols with towers. Try finding out where the money went? Did it go toward school supplies. new books? WHERE? just ask ?
into the slush FUND of course!

new study just out--
Exposure to non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation from mobile telephony and the association with psychiatric symptoms

[Article in English, Portuguese]

Silva DF, Barros WR, Almeida MD, Rêgo MA. Exposure to non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation from mobile telephony and the association with psychiatric symptoms. Cad Saude Publica. 2015 Oct;31(10):2110-2126.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between exposure to non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation from mobile phone base stations and psychiatric symptoms.

In a cross-sectional study in Salvador, Bahia State, Brazil, 440 individuals were interviewed. Psychiatric complaints and diagnoses were the dependent variables and distance from the individual's residence to the base station was considered the main independent variable. Hierarchical logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess confounding.

An association was observed between psychiatric symptoms and residential proximity to the base station and different forms of mobile phone use (making calls with weak signal coverage, keeping the mobile phone close to the body, having two or more chips, and never turning off the phone while sleeping), and with the use of other electronic devices.

The study concluded that exposure to electromagnetic radiation from mobile phone base stations and other electronic devices was associated with psychiatric symptoms, independently of gender, schooling, and smoking status. The adoption of precautionary measures to reduce such exposure is recommended.

http://1.usa.gov/1ITf6Be

[Anonymous]

As to Verizon's proposal to build a 104-foot cell phone tower at Parkland Middle School in Aspen Hill, a community meeting will be held at 7:00 pm on January 28 at the school. Apparently, a representative of Verizon will be there.

[Anonymous]

I live near Parkland and, obviously, don't want to have to look at a huge cell phone tower every single day. Having now googled the issue, I was surprised to learn the cell phone towers are quite flammable. Apparently, fires have started a number of times during maintenance (from welding). Here are the news stories on cell phone towers that I found:

• June 2015 (Virginia, near high school): http://wtkr.com/2015/06/16/cell-phone-tower-near-heritage-high-school-catches-fire/
• September 2014 (Oregon, near high school): http://kval.com/news/local/cell-tower-fire-near-thurston-high-sends-up-smoky-plume
• July 2014 (Ohio, along high school football field): http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/07/15/0715-grandview-cellphone-tower-fire.html
• June 2013 (Pennsylvania): http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Cell-Phone-Tower-on-Fire-in-Bucks-County-212489511.html
• May 2013 (New Jersey): http://www.nj.com/monmouth/index.ssf/2013/05/cell_tower_fire_knocks_out_main_middletown_police_communications.html
• February 2013 (Nevada): http://www.fox5vegas.com/story/20959950/cell-phone-tower-catches-fire-near-us-95
• December 2011 (Georgia): http://www.cbs46.com/story/16175764/cell-phone-tower-on-fire-in-lilburn
• May 2011 (Missouri): http://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/burning-cell-phone-tower-closes-both-directions-of-interstate-435-at-front-street
• January 2011 (California): http://www.dailybulletin.com/20110113/cell-tower-catches-fire-nearby-buildings-evacuated
• June 2010 (Iowa): http://www.lemarssentinel.com/story/1641878.html
• April 2006 (Maryland): http://www.firehouse.com/news/10500668/maryland-cell-tower-destroyed-by-fire

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Big deal. Drive by one. I would say fire hazard from back up generator and other industrial aspects to cell tower is just as much of an issue as radiation hazard. And operator error also an issue. In the right frequency with the right power level radhaz cooks tissue. And the tower won't just have cell antennas on it. It will be radiating all across the spectrum. Cell company will rent out space to every type of radiating antenna. I would sell my house in a heartbeat before I would live next to a cell tower or let my kid attend a school with one on cite. Total dealbreaker.

Oh good grief, you're too dumb for words.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Big deal. Drive by one. I would say fire hazard from back up generator and other industrial aspects to cell tower is just as much of an issue as radiation hazard. And operator error also an issue. In the right frequency with the right power level radhaz cooks tissue. And the tower won't just have cell antennas on it. It will be radiating all across the spectrum. Cell company will rent out space to every type of radiating antenna. I would sell my house in a heartbeat before I would live next to a cell tower or let my kid attend a school with one on cite. Total dealbreaker.

I think you need an aluminum foil cap.

Not the PP, but would you be okay with one at your kid's school? Serious question. I inclined to think it's not a huge deal, but if they wanted to put one up at my kid's ES, I'd be a little wary. Do you have any links indicating that this it totally safe?

As an aside, why is Verizon allowed to put these up on any school grounds?

NP. Yes, I'd be fine with it. I'm guessing that Verizon is "allowed" to put them up because they are willing to pay about $3k per month in perpetuity to any landowner who leases the space. There are many middle-class millionaire types who make bank doing this, and it looks like the schools want in on the action.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Big deal. Drive by one. I would say fire hazard from back up generator and other industrial aspects to cell tower is just as much of an issue as radiation hazard. And operator error also an issue. In the right frequency with the right power level radhaz cooks tissue. And the tower won't just have cell antennas on it. It will be radiating all across the spectrum. Cell company will rent out space to every type of radiating antenna. I would sell my house in a heartbeat before I would live next to a cell tower or let my kid attend a school with one on cite. Total dealbreaker.

Oh good grief, you're too dumb for words.

Verizon rep?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live near Parkland and, obviously, don't want to have to look at a huge cell phone tower every single day. Having now googled the issue, I was surprised to learn the cell phone towers are quite flammable. Apparently, fires have started a number of times during maintenance (from welding). Here are the news stories on cell phone towers that I found:

• June 2015 (Virginia, near high school): http://wtkr.com/2015/06/16/cell-phone-tower-near-heritage-high-school-catches-fire/
• September 2014 (Oregon, near high school): http://kval.com/news/local/cell-tower-fire-near-thurston-high-sends-up-smoky-plume
• July 2014 (Ohio, along high school football field): http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/07/15/0715-grandview-cellphone-tower-fire.html
• June 2013 (Pennsylvania): http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Cell-Phone-Tower-on-Fire-in-Bucks-County-212489511.html
• May 2013 (New Jersey): http://www.nj.com/monmouth/index.ssf/2013/05/cell_tower_fire_knocks_out_main_middletown_police_communications.html
• February 2013 (Nevada): http://www.fox5vegas.com/story/20959950/cell-phone-tower-catches-fire-near-us-95
• December 2011 (Georgia): http://www.cbs46.com/story/16175764/cell-phone-tower-on-fire-in-lilburn
• May 2011 (Missouri): http://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/burning-cell-phone-tower-closes-both-directions-of-interstate-435-at-front-street
• January 2011 (California): http://www.dailybulletin.com/20110113/cell-tower-catches-fire-nearby-buildings-evacuated
• June 2010 (Iowa): http://www.lemarssentinel.com/story/1641878.html
• April 2006 (Maryland): http://www.firehouse.com/news/10500668/maryland-cell-tower-destroyed-by-fire

Even if radiation concerns are overblown, the threat of fire would give me pause. Particularly if the tower is located near the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Big deal. Drive by one. I would say fire hazard from back up generator and other industrial aspects to cell tower is just as much of an issue as radiation hazard. And operator error also an issue. In the right frequency with the right power level radhaz cooks tissue. And the tower won't just have cell antennas on it. It will be radiating all across the spectrum. Cell company will rent out space to every type of radiating antenna. I would sell my house in a heartbeat before I would live next to a cell tower or let my kid attend a school with one on cite. Total dealbreaker.

I think you need an aluminum foil cap.

Not the PP, but would you be okay with one at your kid's school? Serious question. I inclined to think it's not a huge deal, but if they wanted to put one up at my kid's ES, I'd be a little wary. Do you have any links indicating that this it totally safe?

As an aside, why is Verizon allowed to put these up on any school grounds?

NP. Yes, I'd be fine with it. I'm guessing that Verizon is "allowed" to put them up because they are willing to pay about $3k per month[b] in perpetuity to any landowner who leases the space. There are many middle-class millionaire types who make bank doing this, and it looks like the schools want in on the action.

Where do you get this $3K per month amount?

MCPS only gets $900/month for this tower.