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CA Senate SB-649 April 4 Testimony

Testimony by Scientists for Wired Technology during the 4/4/17 Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee Hearing regarding SB.649 Wireless Telecommunications Facilities

Today, I will be entering substantial scientific evidence into the public record in my testimony. I have read and quantitatively evaluated many peer reviewed Supreme Court Daubert-rule-admissible, scientific studies that conclude direct damages to humans and other living organisms from pulsed, radiofrequency microwave radiation, RFR for short.

I am not speaking about issues of concern, worry or risk, but about established biological hazards from RFR exposures. I attest and affirm my statements are true, accurate and within my personal knowledge.

The four studies I will introduce today supplement over 100 studies about adverse bio-effects from RFR exposures many times lower than current Federal RFR guidelines — studies that we entered into the public record in July 2015 in opposition to Assembly Bill 57 as one can view on Youtube here and here. House AB-57 is very similar to today’s bill, Senate Bill-649; both bills were co-authored by the same CA Assembly Member, Bill Quirk.

Part 1: Testimony Against CA Assembly Bill 57 (the Wireless Telecommunications Facilities Shot Clock Bill)

Part 2: Testimony Against CA Assembly Bill 57 (the Wireless Telecommunications Facilities Shot Clock Bill)


Both AB-57 and SB-649 are Ready Fire, Aim bills — unnecessary gifts to the Wireless industry because mobile wireless coverage in CA is complete: 99% of Californians can make calls and texts from multiple carriers. These two bills are about capacity, not coverage, and for frivolous activities, not essential activities. Only essential activities, making emergency calls and texts, justifies preemption of local ordinances and controls over placement of wireless antennas. So-called “small cells” and 5G frequencies (600 MHz to 90,000 MHz) are not necessary for making calls or sending texts — 2G, 3G and 4G technologies already handle those tasks just fine. 5G frequencies are for frivolous entertainment, such as viewing videos wirelessly.

In addition, the total equipment needed for so-called “small cells”, makes these installations huge: refrigerator-size electrical power supplies (28 to 35 cubic feet) — which will be allowed to be installed unfettered in the public right of way by SB.649. Local counties, cities and towns must retain their rights to refuse installation of this ugly, unnecessary and dangerous equipment because doing so is excessive and does not best serve the needs of its local community, as evidenced by recent legal actions in Ohio.

On March 20, 2017, 80 Ohio Cities filed law suits against the State of Ohio for Senate Bill 331, a bill very similar to California SB.649.

Please see the photos and captions submitted to Committee member staffers by email on 4/3/17 and included at the end of this written testimony, illustrating the allowed sizes of the so-called “small cell” electrical supply cabinets per SB.649 — as large as 35 cubic feet, which is an excessive nuisance in the public right of way.

Four Important Scientific Studies Entered Into the Public Record on 4/4/17

In May 2016, the US National Toxicology Program (NTP), part of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), released substantial scientific proof of carcinogenesis caused by RFR in its $25 million. 16-year toxicology study, the largest and most complete toxicology study ever completed. Dr. Ronald L. Melnick, the lead designer of the NTP study stated:

So, what’s the message from all of this? We tested the hypothesis that [radio-frequency microwave] radiation could not cause health effects and we feel that the hypothesis has now been disproved because these results clearly show that [radio-frequency microwave] radiation can cause adverse health effects. . .

The finding of increases of gliomas and schwannomas of the heart in rats exposed to the radio-frequency radiation provides consistency with the epidemiological reports of increases of gliomas and acoustic neuromas, which are tumors of Shwann cells among humans exposed to [radio-frequency] radiation. Those were the findings that provided the basis for the IARC evaluation of 2011, because the same cells that became cancerous in rats are the cells that have been reported to develop into tumors in [human] epidemiological studies . . .

The incidence of tumors is not the measurement of risk alone. Risk is determined from both the dosimetry, which is the absorbed power [multiplied by] time [of exposure], versus the tumor response . . . because of the large number of [exposed human] users worldwide, even a small increase in risk at exposure propensities that may be close to what humans experience, could result in a large number of people developing a RF-radiation-induced tumor with long-term exposure.

Conclusion: It is inappropriate to greenlight SB.649 today without full consideration of these substantial scientific data and the additional data from the NTP study which will be reported later in 2017. Please vote NO to stop SB.649 today and wait to first carefully consider these research results before taking action.

Dr. Trevor Marshall reports the following in his 2016 paper Electrosmog and Autoimmune Disease:

The experiments described in this paper confirm that biological molecules are constantly moving and interact with timescales measured in picoseconds. As a result, forces will be exerted on the charged atoms within these molecules by incident electromagnetic fields, including Electrosmog, including Microwave Radio-Frequency Radiation (RFR) from cellular phone base stations. Pulsed RFR often occurs as steep, needle-like peaks that are 1 micro-second in duration (1000 times slower than a typical molecular response). It is important to have very-fast-acting peak reading signal level meters when measuring the biological interaction potential of electromagnetic waves.

Conclusion: Research for RF/MW radiation bio-effects will only move forward when scientists start to use Faraday cages for test and control animals, like they did in the $25 million, 16-year NTP Study. Signals a million times lower than those currently being used in US Cities may be sufficient to elicit tangible changes in human biology.

Dr. W. Ross Adey reports the following in his 1993 paper Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields:

[My] conclusion is that many observed interactions are not based on tissue heating. Modulation of cell surface chemical events by weak EM fields indicates a major amplification of initial weak triggers associated with binding of hormones, antibodies, and neurotransmitters to their specific binding sites. Calcium ions play a key role in this amplification. These studies support new concepts of communication between cells across the barriers of cell membranes; and point with increasing certainty to an essential physical organization in living matter, at a far finer level than the structural and functional image defined in the chemistry of molecules . . . The evidence indicates mediation by highly nonlinear, nonequilibrium processes at critical steps in signal coupling across cell membranes. There is increasing evidence that these events relate to resonant responses in bio-molecular systems, and not to equilibrium thermodynamics associated with thermal energy exchanges and tissue heating.

Conclusion: Federal RF/MW radiation guidelines are scientifically unsound and cannot be relied upon to protect humans or other living organisms. So called “Small Cell” Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) installed on utility/light poles and nonpole structures in the public right-of-way will place sources of RF/MW radiation as close as 10 feet from second-story bedroom windows, which will harm residents, especially since the antennas will run 24/7/365, causing widespread microwave radiation sickness.

Yakymenko et al reports in this 2011 paper Long-Term Exposure To Microwave Radiation Provokes Cancer Growth: Evidence From Radars And Mobile Communication Systems:

[We are reporting] carcinogenic effects of long term exposure to low intensity microwave radiofrequency/microwave (RF/MW) radiation . . . a number of reports revealed that under certain conditions the irradiation by low intensity RF/MW radiation can substantially induce cancer progression in humans and in animal models. The carcinogenic effect of MW irradiation is typically manifested after long term (up to 10 years and more) exposure. Nevertheless, even a year of operation of a powerful base transmitting station for mobile communication reportedly resulted in a dramatic increase of cancer incidence among population living nearby.

Conclusion: It would be a public health crisis to approve this invasion of so-called “Small Cell” Distributed Antenna System Antennas/Electrical Supplies into residential neighborhoods, near schools, hospitals, elder-care facilities or public parks.

Electrical Supply Cabinets: 28-35 Cubic Feet ALLOWED FOR EACH Utility Pole or Nonpole Structure






Documents Entered into the Public Record during the 4/4/17 Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee Hearing regarding SB.649 Wireless Telecommunications Facilities