News July 2023

We see continued success as mast applications are being refused across the country, with an estimated 60% refusal rate. However further progress is needed to protect the public and the environment as every approval is of deep concern, especially to the children living and attending schools in close proximity to 5G masts. 

One approval has finally been overturned after intense pressure in Lewes, as the council finally agreed that the planning permission given wasn’t valid; however a case against a mast very near a school was withdrawn in Maidstone.

Further in our July blog: mast applications in the UK

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Mast Applications

•Take action steps on RFinfo: https://rfinfo.co.uk/masts/

•Take action masts forum: https://ukstop5g.freeforums.net/board/3/post-object

Planning rules for 5G masts in England Dec 2022

NOISE POLLUTION – deciding factor in 5G mast refusal in Bristol.

Campaigners were initially excited when noticing a “pollution control officer” report amongst the documents on the planning portal for an extension to a “temporary 5G mast” in Bristol;  they thought that finally-the long-term polluting effects were being assessed. Alas, it was not the radiation pollution but the noise pollution from the cabinets which was the focus of the report and interestingly was a factor in the refusal. The potential noise hazard could be used to request information about an assessment of the noise from the cabinets in any other 5G mast application and added as an issue in objections quoting this report as evidence that the hazard can be a hazard.

Pollution Control Officer Report The assessment does recommend some noise mitigation measures to the generator and Wiltshire cabinet and estimates that this should give a sound reduction of approximately 10dB. This reduction hasn’t however been taken into account with any overall assessment of the noise. In light of the above I would have to currently object to this application but would be happy to discuss if needed”

Richie Allen is joined by Kate Moore and Julia Burgess. Kate Moore is a parent whose children attend Valley Park School in Maidstone, Kent. Kate was appalled to learn that Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) had approved an application for a 15 metre 5G mast to be erected less than 10 metres from the school boundary and less than 100 metres from the classrooms. (from 25-60mins)

Another success as Southend Residents Association has had an article published in their local paper re 5G … as we all know exposure and reaching our locals is key to dismantling the Gov propaganda.

Environment

SpaceX satellites leaking radio waves. Astronomers are worried about leakage in the MHz range. On July 5 2023, astronomers from various institutions announced that their new study has detected “unintended electromagnetic radiation” emanating from the onboard electronics of the controversial Starlink satellites.

Auroral-Like Glow Produced By SpaceX Rockets Making Holes In The Ionosphere. “This is the largest rocket-induced circular SAW (shock acoustic wave) on record, and was due to the unique, nearly vertical attitude of the rocket during orbit insertion.” However, future generations of rockets, with the capacity for larger payloads, could produce events like this even when launching on more traditional paths, making large ionosphere holes common without regulation. It also caused a one-meter GPS error, which may not be much of a worry, but if multiple factors combine to cause more intense TECs disruptions this may be an early warning sign.

Low-level EMF effects on wildlife and plants: What research tells us about an ecosystem approach. From November 2022, but a good reminder. Fourth Paper by Levitt, Lai and Manville.

A detailed examination —likely the most exhaustive ever attempted— of the environmental effects of non-ionizing radiation has been published in Reviews on Environmental Health.

“Effects of Non-Ionizing Electromagnetic Fields on Flora and Fauna” is in three parts, the last of which was posted today. They are:

Health and Research

Sean Carneys film “Remembering Nearfield” won best health film at Cannes film festival. Remembering Nearfield is an international animated film about a disability called electrohypersensitivity (EHS). Watch on VIMEO. Award Winner (Best Health Film) in the Cannes World Film Festival.

A memoir with a message for the modern world. New Film: Surrounded, by Sam Wieder. Could the radiation from your cell phone and other electronic devices be wearing you down each day, keeping you up at night, or slowly and steadily assaulting your health?  Maybe you’ve heard about the numerous scientific studies that show why this may be the case.  What you may not have heard is a compelling personal story that has motivated and guided you to do something about it. 

Technical

Genetic effects of radiofrequency radiation (RFR): A copy of Lai’s bibliography of 440 RF genotoxicity papers

How Money and Power Dominate RF Research: The Lai-Singh DNA Breaks 30 Years On
A Conversation with Henry Lai June 2023

The radiation may well be too weak to break a chemical bond, they said, but RF could, by some as-yet unexplained mechanism, set off a cascade of reactions leading to the same result: broken DNA.

The field of RF genotoxicology has mushroomed since that first DNA breaks paper. Lai still tracks the literature and, on an almost daily basis, updates his bibliographies. As of last week, he had tabulated 440 papers on RF genotoxicity: 70 percent show effects and 30 percent do not.

Legal and Resistance

This graph shows data for England regarding Telco Mast planning decisions. In Wales about 50% were refused in 2023, and in Scotland about 70%.

Mast Applications UK July update …

We see continued success as mast applications are being refused across the country, with an estimated 60% refusal rate. However further progress is needed to protect the public and the environment as every approval is of deep concern, especially to the children living and attending schools in close proximity to 5G masts. 

We have seen several approved outside schools this month despite committed campaigning. We can emphasise our successes in our objections (e.g. refer to Mendip refusal on health grounds) and it is vital we keep informing our councils about the authority of the sources of information which invalidates the sole application of the ICNIRP certificate. 

This graph shows data for England regarding Telco Mast planning decisions.

In Wales about 50% were refused in 2023, and in Scotland about 70%

When engaging with councils (or schools) we can refer to ICBE-EMF.org and emphasise Professor Lin’s appraisal. He is effectively our “Whistleblower”, being EX-ICNIRP and eminent in his field.  The IEEE who published his paper were formerly the U.S. Department of the Navy.

“These limits are devised for restricting short term heating by RF radiation and aim to prevent increased tissue temperatures. Thus, they are not applicable to long term exposure at low levels.  Instead of advances in science, they are predicated on assumptions using outdated exposure metrics, thus their ability to protect children, workers, and the public from exposure to the RF radiation or people with sensitivity to electromagnetic radiation from wireless devices and systems

Prof James Lin

It is imperative that we do not allow their mantra “you cannot refuse on health” to deter us from objecting on health grounds, we can double down and make sure we are refining our arguments about this in our objections.

It is very much arguable in Law that public and environmental Health are Material Considerations (ie are relevant even to a Prior Approval). Even if the Councils take a literal line we are still sowing seeds and educating that ‘The Science’ is NOT settled.

Next month we will  have news of a submission being made to government about the illegality of policy 118 and  will be posting instructions of how to use this to best effect with your council. Please look out for news of this important progression in the campaign

In a sane world

…. if the council only paid attention to James Lin’s paper, the ICBE paper, and the PHIRE 2020 consensus statement there should be no further hesitation to refuse most masts before solutions are found. (remember also about your wifi and phones in pockets – walk the talk)

Example 1. a willing Council can easily refuse a mast using all of our arguments which boil down to Incompatible Use, due to a threshold of evidence having been reached globally indicating the serious and credible probability of harm being caused by cumulative exposure.

They have UK Acts, EU codes and directives, UN charters etc to support their position.  These are all covered in various of our blogs and template letters.  

Example 2. an unwilling Council can pretend to consider our evidence and claims, weighing up the Risk/Benefit of current vs UKHSA evidence, and legitimately (in the eyes of the ‘Law’) decide that on balance the benefit still outweighs the risk.  It is still hard to successfully challenge these approvals which basically strictly interpret Policy 118 as ’Law’, and pay lip service to their competent authority role, and local authority duties of care.  They fall back on UKHSA statements and ICNIRP only, claiming there is no exceptional evidence of a hazard yet which would justify a departure from planning policy.

Sample objections

Please see the latest example objection on health, which can either be used alone or in combination with technical, siting and amenity issues.

Link to general mast objection template: HERE

This video from Courtney in Pittsfield is great motivation from fellow campaigners across the pond: 

13-year-old Activist Stands Up to Big Telecom. 3 mins, then interview.

Lawyer Scott McCollough reiterates the importance of breaking the mantra that local decision makers  are impotent, he asserts they are not and calls for collaborative solutions. He affirms his commitment to keep fighting Verizon in Pittsfield where residents have been forced from their homes when they became sick after a 5G tower was installed.