World Health Org on cell poles: ‘field levels are very low,’ Davis
5G and fiberoptics occupied much of a six-hour Farragut Municipal Planning Commission meeting Thursday, July 16, beginning with a 5G workshop led by Dr. Chris Davis, and included the FMPC’s approval — with restrictions — of new applications from MasTec to install fiberoptic cable in Town.
Davis, a professor of Engineering at the University of Maryland’s Electrical and Computer Engineering Department and a long-time expert on radio frequency wave studies, was recommended by the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association as a speaker for the work session.
Davis took the FMPC, Board of Mayor and Aldermen and other officials through a slide-show presentation, which detailed RF waves, and their common usages.
“For most people, the largest RF exposure they ever get is from putting their mobile phones up to their ears,” he said.
He also cited World Health Organization studies that “concluded no adverse health effects have been established as being caused by mobile phone use. At certain levels, there is a small possibility that higher use can lead to cancer,” he said, noting that position “is not accepted by WHO.”
Regarding base stations, or cell poles, “The field levels are very low — it is about the same exposure as the light level from the planet Venus,” Davis added.
Taking questions
He also answered several questions submitted in advance by residents.
Despite circulated e-mails and social media posts, Davis was not paid by the Town to speak, according to Town officials.
“The community asked to be further educated about 5G, and Dr. Davis was recommended by CTIA, an organization that represents the wireless industry,” said Wendy Smith, Town public relations and marketing coordinator.
“The Town did not pay him,” she added.
In response to several in the community asking for “equal representation among speakers,” Smith said, “Now, we are hoping to find someone from the other side of the issue to come in and speak at a future workshop. We don’t have a speaker or a date yet.”
While many in the community pushed for Dr. Devra Davis, founder and president of the Environmental Health Trust, to speak at the same July 16 meeting, Mike Mitchell, one of many Farragut citizens outspoken in his opposition to 4G and 5G infiltration, said it was “misconstrued that we demanded equal time that evening.
“The reason I want equal time for the Environmental Health Trust is for the Planning Commission to have all the facts. Not industry propaganda. I am fine with the equal time being at the next Planning Commission meeting on Aug. 20,” he added.
Mitchell, who describes himself as “just one of 120-plus people in Farragut trying to protect property value and property rights from having cell towers forced on us in our front yards”, said he was “disappointed with the workshop, but not surprised. (Davis) got studies wrong. He didn’t answer questions fully. His testimony was inaccurate and unprofessional.”
Town Mayor Ron Williams said he thought the workshop “was very informative. It was better than I expected as far as the actual 5G information.
“We will do our best with a new aesthetic ordinance and then it will be up to our legislators to do what they can,” he added.
Later, Commissioners discussed at length new applications for underground fiber installation from MCI/Verizon’s subcontractor MasTec, which had been denied during the May meeting.
FMPC approved the applications — which will extend underground fiber along Campbell Station Road, Grigsby Chapel Road, Parkside Drive, Concord Road, Smith Road and in Stonecrest, Farragut View, Sweet Briar and The Cove at Turkey Creek neighborhoods in eight separate phases — with “subject to’s” to include: right-of-way permits be issued for each phase individually; pre-and post construction review by Town staff; that MasTec will notify residents at least two weeks ahead of time before beginning work; and several other requirements as the Town hopes to lessen the number of residential outages and utility disconnections already having occurred during the roll out.
To that end, Williams added a stipulation that e-mails between MasTec/MCI Verizon pertaining to a specific residential sewer line break be produced before work can commence.
The workshop and Planning Commission meeting can be viewed in their entirety on the Town’s You Tube channel, accessible through the Town website.
