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http://saltspringnews.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=index&catid=&topic=16
IROCA asks Salt Spring Islanders:
Show your opposition to the proposed
antenna at the next fire board meeting
"When an activity raises threats of harm to human health
or the environment, precautionary measures should be taken even
if some cause and effect relationships are not fully established
scientifically." -- an early definition of the precautionary
principle in applied science
In other words, actions taken to protect the environment
and human health take precedence. This is critical as the fire
board will soon make a final decision whether or not to install
the proposed clock-tower antenna--within a couple of hundred
feet of the park, a busy children's playground, and numerous
businesses and residences. The precautionary principle
must be respected. The trustees are being pressured to make a
decision in the face of ignorance of existing data dating back
decades and becoming evermore clear and cogent . Help them with
this dilemma. The Island Residents Opposed to Cell Phone Antennae
ask you to bring your common sense and to please attend the next
fire trustees meeting, Monday, October 18. Click on full story
to read IROCA's email
Posted at: Monday, October 11, 2004 - 09:34 AM -- Posted by:
Jim Scott
Wednesday, September 29, 2004
Cell Antenna News and Critical Action Update
We received this email from IROCA.
CELL ANTENNA NEWS and CRITICAL ACTION UPDATE SEPTEMBER 28th.
This update summarizes some of the critical points that have
been made over the last few weeks.
It also contains one specific request - a very easy-to-do action
that will greatly help our efforts to prevent this antenna being
installed.
Contents
1. Some key points
2. Our conclusion (in light of...)
3. Action: You can stop this antenna
4. Appendix: A few scientific and authoritative statements (Click
on full story for these.)
SOME KEY POINTS
We have written these to attempt to show how profoundly mistaken
this idea of installing a cell antenna is. If you have any questions
about this material, please get in touch.
1. It is clear there are potential serious health consequences
for you personally, and even more so for your children.
The Fire Trustees have been given enough scientific evidence
of possible harm to choke an elephant!
2. Telus and the Fire Trustees have not offered you one
shred of evidence that this antenna is safe.
Actually, it's quite fascinating to wonder why Telus won't come
right out and say, "We can show it's safe." We believe
that is simply because they can't - and they know it.
3. We are NOT protected by current regulations.
When asked about safety, Telus just keeps repeating the mantra,
"It's within regulations." Canada's "Code Six"
figures are patently ridiculous - based on the idea "If
it doesn't immediately heat up a bag of sugar water, it's safe".
This takes absolutely no account of the well documented health
damage from long-term, low level exposure. It's similar to saying
if the arsenic in your water doesn't immediately cause convulsions,
it's safe - and we all know that wouldn't be true. In fact, we
have the 2nd most abysmal standards on the planet, surpassed
only by Britain.
4. The Trustees' one reason for installation is no reason
at all.
The ONLY reason they have offered to justify the installation
of this antenna is to act as a back-up system to their normal
radio. This is completely invalid. Most of the island does not
offer the consistency or strength of signal required for a reliable
back-up.
5. Telus intends to raise the signal intensity and the
numbers of antennas.
Why would Rick Carlson, DIRECTOR OF NETWORK IMPLEMENTATION for
Telus come personally to Salt Spring over one itty-bitty antenna?
Answer - he wouldn't. In response to a phone call from IROCA,
a senior administrator made it very clear that this is only the
first step in a network. (That's their normal tactic.)
6. The Fire Trustees wanted safety assurances in the contract
--- but didn't get them.
The Trustees wanted an "out" clause that could allow
them to escape the contract (in the case of negative health or
economic consequences?) They also wanted a clause in the contract
limiting Telus to this one proposed antenna. It seems clear Telus
gave them a big, "No", or the Trustees would have brought
this assurance back to the community long ago. You can easily
check this by asking the Trustees for a look at the Telus contract.
7. The 265,000 member International Association of Fire
Fighters has called for a complete moratorium on fire-hall installations.
You can see this at http://daily.iaff.org/convention/04pics/04Final%20Reso.pdf,
pages 21 to 23. Unfortunately, our fire department is not bound
by this resolution, as they are not members. But you'd think
it might give them a hint about the right way to go!!!
8. The BC Confederation of Parents Advisory Councils urges
the prohibition of cell antennas in any areas regularly used
by students.
http://www.bccpac.bc.ca/who_are_we/organization/resolutions_index.tracking.htm#2003.7
9. Where did the Precautionary Principle go?
If the Trustees had a scientific research paper that said there
was a faulty bolt on the fire truck that had a 1 in 10,000 chance
of breaking on the way to a fire, that bolt would be replaced
IMMEDIATELY. In other words, they would err (dramatically) on
the side of caution. The antenna situation is being dealt with
in the reverse. And here it's not a 1 in 10,000 chance: it's
a virtual certainty that our children and elders especially
will be harmed by the proposed antenna. (See references below
for a small sample.) Why are they not erring on the side of caution?
Why are they still so determined to proceed with this antenna
proposal when there is so much evidence of potential harm?
10. The cell industry can't get insurance for health consequences
of their technology at ANY price.
Lloyd's of London and Swiss Re won't insure them and are advising
all other insurance companies to follow their lead. The insurance
industry - experts in risk assessment - seems to know and have
accepted something that the general public doesn't
11. Are the Trustees prepared to accept personal responsibility
for their decisions?
We all have the examples of Walkerton and others such disasters
to show that officials, paid or volunteer, are legally responsible
for their actions. Given these examples, and all the evidence
of potential harm that we have given the Trustees, the fact that
this decision is still pending seems foolish in the extreme.
Are the Trustees prepared to accept personal responsibility for
the consequences of installing an antenna? If not, it would be
immoral of them to allow installation.
12. A large number of individuals and businesses are very
concerned.
What more do the Fire Trustees need to make a decision? It's
obviously not more information.
Why is this situation still hanging over our heads?
IN LIGHT OF
- all the scientific evidence of possible harm,
- the moratorium on cell antenna installation passed by the International
Association of Fire Fighters,
- the incredible inconsistencies and holes in what has been said
by Telus,
- and simple requests by community members to act according to
the "Precautionary Principle",
We consider the proposal by the Fire Board Trustees to
allow Telus to install an antenna to be outrageous and completely
indefensible. We want the Trustees to immediately reject the
Telus contract and to inform the community they have done so.
YOU CAN STOP THIS ANTENNA
Come to the next Fire Trustees meeting.
Monday, October 18th,
7:30pm at the Ganges Fire
Hall
You don't need to speak (although you certainly can, if you
wish.) Your simple presence will be a very powerful statement
of disapproval of their (so far) failure to reject the Telus
contract. What has stopped installation to this point is public
pressure. You can add enormously to that pressure by coming to
the next meeting. They are very disturbed by community opposition
to the antenna and very nervous about being held legally responsible
for their decision.
Please email Chris Anderson at canderson@uniserve.com to say
you'll be there. We'd love to know, for sure, that you'll be
there. But, if you get in touch, we can also let you know if
they change the meeting for any reason, or if there are any critical
developments.
Thanks for reading.
Posted at: Wednesday, September 29, 2004 - 11:30 AM -- Posted
by: Jim Scott
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