5G by EILEEN O’CONNOR
May 2022
No one can say 5G is safe and yet local councils are rolling out 5G throughout the UK and without public consultation or consent.
The UK Government recently launched the £1 billion shared rural network deal to build 5G throughout the countryside. Relaxing planning laws for existing masts to upgrade to 5G and to allow the increase in height of masts up to 25 metres, with new masts to be built to a maximum of 30 metres, along with a host of smaller masts up to six metres in height above buildings. Councils are also encouraged to allow curb side infrastructure, such as antenna attached to lampposts and bus shelters and all without prior approval to accelerate network upgrades with an aim to provide 5G coverage for the majority of the UK population by 2030. (1)
The first study on the health effects of 5G by Professor Lennart Hardell and Mona Nilsson was published by the Swedish Radiation Protection Foundation on 22 February. The study recorded a massive increase in radiation exposure levels resulting in immediate microwave sickness symptoms for residents living below the antenna. Symptoms included fatigue, difficulty sleeping, nosebleeds, tinnitus, dizziness, skin problems, concentration problems, irritability, impaired short-term memory, confusion, depression and heart palpitations. (2)
The first Cease and Desist order was issued in April 2022 by the Board of Health Pittsfield MA against Verizon Cell Tower. Residents surrounding the tower suffered ill health shortly after the tower was activated in 2020. (3)
Here in the UK, a landmark legal ruling in November 2021 took place at the Planning Court, Queen’s Bench Division, High Court of Justice, London with campaigners successfully claiming against Brighton and Hove Council with Hutchison 3G as the interested party. The Honourable Mr Justice Holgate overturned the local authority approval for the 5G mast to be sited close to a primary school. The ruling found that the Council “failed to address the health impacts” of the mast. The Council was ordered to pay the claimants costs to the agreed sum of £13,340. This finding has significant implications for all councils dealing with 5G applications, it means there is a legal responsibility to investigate effects on health. (4)
Thousands of antennas and phone masts are still being deployed in heavily populated areas to advance the internet of thing, allowing thousands of devices to connect to the network with a drive towards smart city applications. The only compliance necessary according to the UK Government is a statement that self-certifies that the ICNIRP guidelines are met. (5)
The UK ICNIRP guidelines are based on the same principle as the US standards and only protect against short-term, heating effects of radiation and not the long-term biological effects. On Friday 13th August
2021 in the USA Robert F. Kennedy’s Children’s Health Defense (CHD) and the Environmental Health Trust successfully sued the FCC in a historic lawsuit against the FCC for ignoring 11,000 pages of scientific and medical evidence showing biological effects, so we can no longer rely on industry assurances of safety. (6)
Bioeffects have clearly been established to occur with very low exposure (non-thermal levels) to electromagnetic fields and radiofrequency radiation according to many doctors and scientists. The BioInitiative Working Group reviewed thousands of peer reviewed scientific papers. This group of experts calls for the precautionary approach and urgent action due to chronic EMF-related diseases that are a potential risk for everyone. These diseases include adverse effects on the central nervous system, cancer, both initiating and promoting effects, impairments of certain brain functions, loss of memory and cognitive function, infertility and immune dysfunction. (7)
Radiofrequency signals were classified as a possible human carcinogen in 2011 by the World Health Organization International Agency for Research on Cancer. (8) Evidence of increased cancer risks has since been strengthened by further human studies, as well as toxicology studies in animals, which demonstrated clear evidence of tumours (US National Toxicology Program (9) and the Italian Ramazzini Institute study (10). Despite this, the Government is racing ahead with 5G rollout and the involuntary irradiation of the whole UK population.
The Science and Technology Options Assessment Committee (STOA) of the European Parliament published a review in June 2021 “Health impact of 5G. Current state of knowledge of 5G-related carcinogenic and reproductive/developmental hazards as they emerge from epidemiological studies and in vivo experimental studies.” The review of research calls for a halt to the expansion of 5G and should be a clear warning for policy makers to put the brakes on. No adequate studies are available on 5G in the higher frequency range (24 to 100 Ghz). Therefore, the review describes 5G as an experiment on the population. (11)
It’s worth noting that the $21 billion reinsurance company Swiss Re Group, which is one of the world’s leading reinsurance providers, rated 5G as a “high impact” liability risk, citing concerns about its biological effects, and potential claims for health impairments. (12)
Local councillors may not be aware that they could potentially be held liable for any harms caused by the policies they enact according to a UK lawyer and should therefore check the council’s public liability insurance provides cover for adverse health effects caused by 5G. (13)+(14)
Eileen O’Connor
Co-Founder and advisor for EM Radiation Research Trust www.radiationresearch.org
Co-founder and Board member for the International EMF Alliance https://www.iemfa.org/
References
1) https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-laws-to-end-mobile-coverage-no-bar-blues
4) https://rfinfo.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Consent-Order 02.11.21.pdf
6) https://ehtrust.org/environmental-health-trust-et-al-v-fcc-key-documents/
8) IARC classifies Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans (who.int)
9) Cell Phone Radio Frequency Radiation (nih.gov)
11) Health impact of 5G | Think Tank | European Parliament (europa.eu)
12) Swiss-Re-SONAR-Publication-2019-excerpt-1.pdf (ehtrust.org)
13) Misconduct in Public Office | The Crown Prosecution Service (cps.gov.uk)