Institute of Health & Environment, and Department of Environmental Health Sciences School of Public Health. Letter to Scout Executives

Institute for Health and the Environment
and
Department of Environmental Health Sciences
School of Public Health

7 April 2010

Ms. Lynne Leach,Volunteer President
Mr. Allan Westberg, Scout Executive
Mt. Diablo Silverado Council of Boy Scouts of America

Dear Ms. Leach and Mr. Westberg:

It is my understanding that you are the individuals who will make a decision on the placement of a T-Mobile cell tower on a Boy Scouts Camp in El Cerrito. I am writing to urge you to reconsider the decision to approve such a cell phone tower placement on the basis of concern for the health of scouts, nearby residents and children using day care centers and playgrounds in the vicinity.

I am a public health physician and former Dean of the School of Public Health at the University at Albany. I have been involved in the study of health effects of electromagnetic fields for a number of years, and have recently written and spoken on the subject. For your information I am attaching a large review article, as well as a publication that came from my presentation at last year’s President’s Cancer Panel meeting in Phoenix.

There is a building body of evidence that prolonged exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields, of the sort associated with cell towers and cell phone use, increases the risk of several kinds of cancer, especially brain cancer and leukemia. Furthermore the evidence indicates that children are at least five times more vulnerable to these effects than are adults. Recent studies from Switzerland indicate that for an average person 40% of their exposure comes from the cell phone towers, which release radiofrequency radiation 24 hours a day seven days a week. The scientific details justifying these statements are found in the attached articles.

In my judgment it is unwise, indeed unethical, to place children and adults in harms way just for the purpose of obtaining funds from a cell phone company. I urge you to reconsider allowing the placement of the tower on Scout’s land. Thanks you for your consideration.

Yours sincerely,
David O. Carpenter, M.D.
Director, Institute for Health and the Environment
University at Albany
CC:
BSA CEO Robert Mazzuca
BSA President John Gottschalk
Prof. Marina Ratner