Letter to Editor: Opposed to changes in Northborough cell tower bylaws

To the Editor:

People of Northborough- please take notice. The Planning Board of Northborough has voted to make changes to the towns bylaws. If passed at the town meeting (April 22) the newly proposed bylaws will allow a change in the location and placement of cell towers and antennas. The people of Northborough should be informed that these changes will allow companies the opportunity to approach the town and request placement of antennas on our schools (this also may apply to residential dead zone areas). The town will tell you the company needs to first approach commercial and industrial areas and then only residential areas. A company will have the option to apply for a special permit. Special permits are almost impossible to fight and fighting an antenna placement based on possible health concerns will not be admissible due to the way the law is currently written.

Current safety laws from the FCC are based on old science and only the thermal effect of electromagnetic radiation is considered. Possible health issues are still being studied and some of these studies are worrisome. I know towers can bring in money but is it worth exposing teachers and children several hours a day to a possible health risk?? Does the amount of money the town receives from a cell-antenna outweigh the risks to health and safety of its citizens or the possibility of significant lawsuits in the future?? I am including recent studies on the emerging science and an informational article. The town meeting is April 22 if you do not want the possibility of antennas on schools please go to this meeting and vote down the bylaw change. If this isn’t taken care of on April 22 individual neighborhoods could be fighting tower locations for a long time.

Pubmed has hundreds of studies, read a few studies and then ask yourself if the government or our town truly know if these antennas are safe?

http://ehtrust.org/wp- content/uploads/2012/12/aap_support_letter_cell_phone_right_to_know_act.pdf

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23469637

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23523687

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23482083

Janice Fournier

Northborough