Formal application not yet submitted to city to place antenna on top of SOU Science Building
By Morgan Rothborne, Ashland.news
Around 50 people flowed in and out of the Rogue River Room at Southern Oregon University Thursday evening to ask questions and voice opposition to a new cell tower proposed for the university Science Building at 1250 Ashland St.
Alan Rathsam said he is a retired mechanical engineer and spent 35 years working in a research and development lab with the United States Navy. He does not carry a cell phone and has spent the past six years attempting to raise awareness about the dangers of this technology as a “continuation of public service.”
“What it does to our bodies, whether you feel it or not, it’s a matter of physics,” he said.
“And the telecom industry will keep the public in doubt because this technology is an addiction and people don’t want to believe that they have made a decision that’s affecting their health seriously. By ignoring their information, they feel more comfortable. And there’s such a thing as group conformity.”
Research on “where does the harm start,” shows exposure carries risks of brain tumors, a disruption of the blood brain barrier and DNA damage, he said. He encouraged people to minimize exposure such as using speakerphone or headphones to keep the phone away from the brain, paying attention to when the phone has a low signal and will then boost its signal to reach towers and to avoid using the phone in the car when the metal body of the car will also cause the phone to boost its signal.
“This exposure increases the calcium flow artificially and excessively in the cells. … There’s a huge difference between natural radiation from the sun, fire, from the old incandescent light bulbs that’s natural radiation and the energy waves are coming in at random. In manmade radiation, it’s pulsed and modulated so that it can carry data. Those pulses are occuring in our entire body at the exact same instant millions and billions of times per second,” he said.
According to the American Cancer Society, “the radiofrequency (RF) waves given off by cell phones don’t have enough energy to damage DNA directly or to heat body tissues. Because of this, it’s not clear how cell phones might be able to cause cancer.”
The society’s web page on cell phones goes on to add, though, that “results of lab studies do not rule out the possibility that RF waves from cell phones might somehow impact human health,” and that “studies of people published so far have not established a clear link between cell phone use and the development of tumors.”
The society does not have a position on whether or not radiofrequency (RF) radiation from cell phones, cell phone towers, or other sources is a cause of cancer. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says “At this time we do not have the science to link health problems to cell phone use. Scientific studies are underway to determine whether cell phone use may cause health effects.”
Don McClure, one of those in attendance at Thursday’s meeting, said all federal regulatory agencies have been “captured,” meaning it has succumbed to money and lobbyists and protects corporations rather than performing its intended function of providing oversight.
“In 1960 it was 6% of the population with one chronic condition. Today it’s 50%. Forty percent have two chronic conditions. And it gets way worse — 93% of Medicare paid out is for chronic conditions. So to say that none of this is causing that is like putting your head in the sand,” McClure said.
Rivers Brown stood at an easel with drawings of the cell tower design and asked questions of a woman representing Verizon.
“So what if these people over here didn’t want this thing pointed at’em?” he said, pointing to a drawing of the tower.
“We’re going to be submitting the application to the city of Ashland and during that process please submit comments and letters to them if you feel strongly for or against,” she said.
Verizon held the meeting to answer neighbors’ questions and allow discussion of the installation, said Josh, a man who represented the company that evening and declined to give his last name. He declined to answer further questions and said he was instructed to send all media inquiries through a designated communications staff member at Verizon.
Another man working with Verizon carried a clipboard and encouraged attendees to write down their names and contact information. He stated the information was to provide the city of Ashland with proof that the meeting was held and the company was accepting feedback from residents.
There was no immediate response to an attempt to reach Verizon with questions.
John Maurer was one of the only residents in attendance without reservations on the technology. Living in a more rural corner of Ashland, he appreciates new cell tower installations that make it possible to use his phone at home.
“That’s my good friend Larry. We’re on opposite sides of the fence, but we’re still good friends,” Maurer said, pointing at Larry Graves.
Graves walked across the room and the pair shook hands.
“I’m going to be on the opposite side of the room from you today,” Maurer said.
“Oh no, you know what, I’m for technology and I’m for 5G but what I really want is for the city to make absolutely sure that it’s safe and they haven’t done that yet,” he said.
Standing with Ashland City Councilor Jeff Dahle, the three discussed what could or should be done about the technology. The potential risks of 5G technology demand some protection for people, Graves said.
“What’s the city going to do if the federal government can’t or won’t?” he said, looking at Dahle.
“You’ve got to sue the federal government. … That’s how the system works,” Dahle said.
“Yeah of course, you don’t win that way, but that’s how the system works,” Graves said.
“Well what’s a city to do? Just go their own way and flaunt the federal rules? You’d have chaos,” Dahle said.
Graves agreed, but he said a suit to the Federal Communications Commission could be more successful in a class action lawsuit “under the umbrella” of the city or the county. Dahle responded the city would be suing using taxpayer dollars and interested taxpayers could “cut the city out of it,” and pursue the suit themselves.
Such a suit would be expensive and the judicial system is in practice slanted in the government’s favor through its use of evidentiary hearings to throw out cases, Graves said.
When asked if he wanted to comment on the meeting as a city councilor, Dahle expressed appreciation for the conversations that evening.
“I came here voluntarily because I wanted to listen and learn and show that we care about this issue. We disagree on some of the analysis, but ultimately we’re all here because we care about the city,” he said.
When asked about the threatening email received by Ashland City Council in relation to the city’s new telecommunication ordinance Wednesday, Dahle said, “I hope everybody involved, not only this issue but every issue, understands that … the more impassioned each side is, the more important it is to have civilized discussion.”
In an email Wednesday, Ashland Community Development Director Brandon Goldman said the meeting was a key step in the process for the installation of the tower under Ashland city code. The city had not yet received the formal application but was anticipating it following the meeting.
City Council will vote on the second reading of the new telecommunications ordinance governing cell towers in the public right-of-way Tuesday, April 2. Because this installation is not in the public right-of-way, it falls under Ashland Municipal Code 18, not AMC 16, which would be modified by the new ordinance, Goldman said.
Email Ashland.news reporter Morgan Rothborne at morganr@ashland.news. Ashland.news editor Bert Etling contributed to this report. Email him at betling@ashland.news.
