Under Construction

 
 

5/21/03 - National League of Cities Endorses Tower Control Legislation

4/ 29/03 - EMR Network Meets with FCC Commissioner Copps on Status of Petition.

9/25/02 - Mobile Phones and Cancer: Is the Popular Media Doing Its Job?
The vast majority of the public relies on the popular media for accurate information on scientific and medical developments relating to their everyday lives. This puts a significant burden on the popular media to do their homework and to refrain from making broad generalizations about health and safety risks that are not supported by the scientific literature.

The question at hand is adverse health effects from human exposure to radiofrequency (RF) radiation from mobile phone technology. As the number of mobile phone users grows, the global public health implications cannot be ignored.

9/16/02 - Mobile Phones and Brain Tumors: Public Remains Underinformed
A Sept. 11, 2002, Associated Press (AP) article by Gretchen Parker entitled, "Study linking brain tumors and older cell phones could be used against Motorola," lays out arguments pro and con about the recently published brain tumor study of Swedish oncologist and epidemiologist Lennart Hardell1. Dr. Hardell is an expert witness for the plaintiff in the Newman cell phone brain tumor case currently before Judge Catherine Blake at the U.S. District Court in Baltimore.

What is the public to believe? Does the popular media take the time to analyze the details of research reports so the public can assess the facts upon which the industry arguments are based? If not, how else will the public be able to make an informed choice, for themselves and for their children, about how often and how long to use their cell phones?

8/12/02 - EMR NETWORK Presses Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for response to Petition for Inquiry on Environmental Effects of Radiofrequency/Microwave (RF/MW) Radiation.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states FCC Radiofrequency Limits do not protect humans from all harms. Details regarding both in this Press Release.

2/1/02 - EMR Network Files Appeal at FCC for Full Hearing on Radiofrequency Radiation (RFR) Effects:  FCC Must Answer on the Merits

12/19/01- Legal Action Threatened against EMR NETWORK after Posting IEEE Proposal to Relax Radiation Standards. Details in this Press Release.

The EMR Network has received communication from Mr. Stanziola, who is employed as the manager, Standards Licensing and Contracts, IEEE Standards Activities, asserting that these draft standards are copyrighted intellectual property. The EMR Network believes that it is in the public interest to inform the public about this document and that it is "fair use" under copyright laws. The posting is not done for commercial purposes.

12/19/01 - Federal Agencies Decline to Protect Humans from Radiofrequency Radiation Relying on Old Research as Basis for Radiation Limits - Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Dismisses Notice of Inquiry. Details in this Press Release.

12/12/01 - The FCC has dismissed the EMR Network Petition for Inquiry to open a proceeding on the FCC's regulations concerning the environmental effects of radiofrequency radiation. Details in this Press Release.

10/1/01 - On September 25, 2001, the EMR Network filed with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) a Petition requesting that the FCC issue a Notice of Inquiry designed to gather information and opinion on the need to revise the regulations in Parts 1 and 2 of the FCC's Rules concerning the environmental effects of radiofrequency radiation ("RFR"). Read our Press Release.

The U.S. Supreme Court Declines to Hear the Voice of the People
A citizen-lead petition asking the Supreme Court to safeguard the public health and restore local control of siting of cellular towers was denied certiorari earlier this month. The EMR Network (EMR - electromagnetic radiation), who supported the appeal, will continue to be a voice for concerned citizens across the country.

Filings Complete for Supreme Court Docket #00-393 10th Amendment Challenge to TCA of 1996 and FCC RF Exposure Guidelines
(Go to Litigation page to read the Writ and Supporting Amicus Briefs. In addition, go to Senator Leahy's site to read the Vermont Delegation's press releases and Amicus Brief.)
December 4, 2000
Contact: Janet Newton, Executive Officer, 802-426-3035
10/2/00 - News from the Vermont Congressional Delegation
CONTACT: David Carle (Leahy), 202-224-3693 Erik Smulson (Jeffords), 202-224-5141 David Sirota (Sanders), 202-225-4115

U.S. Supreme Court Declines Vermont Broadcast Tower Case
WASHINGTON -- On the first day of its new session, the U.S. Supreme Court Monday (Oct. 2) declined to accept an appeal by Charlotte, Vt., residents in their lawsuit arguing for more local control over the location and operation of broadcast and cellular transmission towers. The Vermont Congressional Delegation -- Sen. Patrick Leahy, Sen. Jim Jeffords, and Rep. Bernie Sanders -- had filed an amicus ("friend of the court") brief urging the Supreme Court to accept the case. Their legal brief argued that "this issue is of great importance because of the dramatic increase in the siting, construction and use of telecommunication and radio towers in communities throughout the United States. The location of such towers near homes, schools, farms, churches, hospitals, airports, highways, and the whole host of work and home environments is of great importance to the states, to local governments and citizens . . . ."

Three years ago the Vermont Congressional Delegation introduced legislation to restore a local role in tower siting decisions by repealing the 1996 federal preemption law that gave that authority solely to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). They also intend to file another friend of the court brief on Oct. 13 asking the Supreme Court to hear a related case presented by a national group called the Citizens for the Appropriate Placement of Telecommunications Facilities, and by others, in litigation against the FCC.

Leahy, Jeffords and Sanders issued the following joint statement after the court's announcement today:

"We are disappointed in the Supreme Court's unwillingness to hear the arguments that would have been presented by citizens of Vermont on the critical issue of local control over the siting of telecommunications towers. The citizens of Charlotte had a compelling case with vivid examples about this problem. We will continue to push for a legislative remedy in Congress with the bills we have introduced to repeal the 1996 federal preemption statute."