Before I start this article, it is important for us to define what the maximum safe exposure limits are for radio frequency (RF) energy, not just in the United States (which is way too high), but in other countries that have, and are perusing, similar technology.

The frequency of an electromagnetic wave is defined as the number of waves created per second. As the waves propagate away from the source, the frequency also represents the number of waves that will pass a point per second. Watts per kilogram (W/kg) is a measure of the amount of radio frequency energy absorbed by the body.

Canada, Russia, and China RF Limits

In Canada the limit is 0.4 W/kg (That limit is 1.2 W/kg lower than the U.S. standard).

Note: I wrote in my previous article about wireless safety concerns about my dislike for using Specific Absorption Rate (SAR), but at least it gives us a direct comparison to the current United States (Aji Pai/Verizon) FCC standard which is also in SAR.

In Russia the limits are lower than the US as well, “at a frequency range of 300 MHz to 300 GHz was set as 5 μW/cm².” (μW/cm² means one millionth of a Watt per squared centimeter.)

Note: I prefer this μW/cm² scale to SAR because SAR relies on absorption by individuals, and that is very hard to gauge and is very individual. It also means that smaller people, like children, are more affected than adults. The FCC SAR standard is set up using a 6-foot, 220-pound male who is fit.

In China the limit is 0.4 W/m(squared)

United States RF Limits

In the United States, going all the way back to the Clinton administration, children were generally treated the same as adults in reference to exposure frequency (EF). Our limit is:

In the SAR scale: The FCC limit for public exposure from cellular telephones is a SAR level of 1.6 watts per kilogram (1.6 W/kg)

In the W/cm(squared) scale: The FCC skirts defining why they did not use this standard, and instead backs up their use of SAR.

Until recently the EPA defined the standard in W/kg but now uses SAR and is referring most people to the FCC site. This is a recent
change. Still, their standard is significantly lower than the FCC at 1 W/kg (.6 lower than the FCC) before biological damage occurs.

Note: Don’t be surprised if you see these articles change and the old data erased. I’ve seen it happen to FCC articles that stated in 2016 that they “were unsure of the effects of wireless on children” to articles today that state: “The grand majority of scientific evidence suggests they are safe….”

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) lists the most recent U.S. standard in watts/meter(squared) as 6.7. That is a full 6.3 above China. Japan is listed as 5, so we’re a full 1.7 above the standard of the tech-loving Japanese population.

There is one final way to measure EMF/RF effects, and that is in milli-gauss. The safe average being .5 to 2.5 milligauss.

Here is the IEEE article for more comparisons.

U.S. Limits are Too High

So, in short, the U.S. standards are obscenely high. Much higher than most other developed countries, and higher than all of our competitors. What this means is that we can make lots of dangerous equipment that technically meets the FCC “safety standard.” Again, a good example lies in the development of the automobile. Federal emissions standards mean that cars today are more powerful and burn less fuel. Essentially, regulations can be used to make better, safer, technology. Technology can meet the demands of a growing world and be much safer than what we’re seeing with 5G, Smart Meters, and lots of other technology that are being rushed to market before they are really ready.

It should also be noted that some say that we are bombarded by radiation all of the time, so don’t worry about it. Ok, here’s the truth on that. The natural amount of radiation that you would receive of this type is less than 0.000001 percent. So no, you were probably not really exposed to this in nature at anywhere close to this level unless you were really trying. This is an artificially created problem and humans have not yet evolved to deal with it. The process of evolution usually takes a lot of time.

A Visit to the Lettered Streets and Cornwall Park Neighborhood

So, onto the investigative journalism part of this article. I went to the lettered streets neighborhood to take some electromagnetic frequency (EMF) measurements recently with my GQ-EMF380 meter. The gentleman I met with had a meter of his own, too, and has health issues related to exposure to RF field exposure during his decades of engineering work. Before I go on, let me say that I understand that we’ll need to take many more measurements around town and correlate the data, but there are some concerning data already.

What were we measuring? Well today, the active devices seemed to be mostly smart meters, but as 5G small cells, and other wireless devices are added, there will be a cumulative effect. Say anywhere from 3 to 10 times what we measured today. The devices also look awful and are not nearly as “camouflaged” and “low-impact” as the big companies told us they would be.

The readings we took varied when the meter was transmitting and when it was not, but peaked at about 7% of the US safety standard. “No problem,” you say, “that’ well within the limits.” I would urge you too keep in mind though that power reading used be taken manually every few weeks, and how often smart meters transmit is totally up to the company. The nationwide average seems to be about every hour, which seems too frequent to have to take a power reading. PSE did not list their time of transmission in their Smart Meter Upgrade document. In fact, the site returns a 404 error the last time I tried to check it. Which is irresponsible to say the least.
The RF equipment was installed at about second-story level on the pole outside and on the first floor on the house. So the idea that RF equipment will be installed in a way to minimize impact, and exposure, to residents is a joke. Many bedrooms, apartments, office buildings, and other structures will be in the direct line of sight of these devices so people will be exposed very often to RF signals. Much more often than the Verizon rep., brought in by our Public Works Director to on behalf of the city at the July council meeting, stated. If your child sleeps on the 2nd floor, their exposure will be much higher than expected. Just look around your own neighborhoods at the installs.

So what does this all mean? Well, it means that this one device exceeds all safety standards when at peak operation. Why? Because SAR is a cumulative effect, so if you’re exposed multiple times a day you’ll reach the limit quickly, especially if you’re a child.
Since it isn’t on all of the time though, you might argue that this is an acceptable trade. For what, I’d ask? So the power company can employee one less person to read your meters. So they can avoid installing inexpensive, perfectly safe fiber and hooking that up to the meters instead? So they can avoid backing a public fiber initiative, leasing public fiber at a fraction of the rate of private fiber for the meters, and God forbid, giving a little back to the citizens for a change?

Since RF exposure falls off sharply with distance, it means that Wireless Smart Meters shouldn’t be hooked up to the side of your house! These same meters could also be hooked up to fiber, which is perfectly safe, and has no problems. With a fiber network, the power company can have their cake and eat it too, without exposing you to EMF just to take some readings and write up your bill.

However, we walked to another neighborhood on Illinois street by Cornwall Park. Similar equipment was installed there, but the output was about half of what it was on H street. The neighborhood was also, well let’s say it had nicer houses on it and probably better connected people. There is a good chance that PSE just totally screwed up the H street installation, and just cranked up the gain to compensate for it. Causing an unnecessary additional amount of EMF on H street than on Illinois street. More care seems to have been taken on Illinois Street around the park than on H street for sure. Who is going to hold PSE accountable, well certainly not Pinky Vargas who works for them or most of the “business first, regardless of the harm to the community,” members of your current city council..

With competing companies wanting to install multiple small cells you could easily end up with 10 times this amount of radiation per pole with constant transmissions.

Think about it for a second. PSE wants one smart meter, then the CNG decides it’s a good idea too, then Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile all want to install competing small cells. Perhaps another cellular company thinks that one of the big 3 telecoms I mentioned has too much coverage so, thanks to the FCC lack of regulation on small cells and equipment, decides to install one at an even lower level on a street light too. By the way, the city is ready to lease them public fiber to do this. That’s right, the same fiber you paid for, they refuse you access to, that they keep telling you isn’t useful, they are ready to lease to big telecoms no problem. They already lease it to AT&T, in a total corporate welfare deal, as I wrote about previously. There you have it, at least 6 RF devices where there were virtually none just 2 years ago.

Still, we need to stop and think about what is happening here as millions of wireless devices are rolled out nationwide to be added to your streets right alongside of your Smart Meters. Each device will add at least as much radiation to the environment as these smart meters. Yes, at different wavelengths, but that isn’t better. You see, one person who might be fine with a lower frequency headache may not tolerate higher frequency ones as well, and vice-versa. With competing companies wanting to install multiple small cells you could easily end up with 10 times this amount of radiation per pole with constant transmissions. Meaning an constant bombardment with RF radiation that exceeds any health standard.

Your council, mayor, and top staff members have all of this information. Still, they lack the courage to follow in the footsteps of San Rafel, and other California, communities.

Ted Carlson, your Public Works Director, got up and left before listening to any public commentary on the issue. You see, the decision had already been made behind closed doors; no need to waste any time listening to the pesky public. I’ve mentioned this before, but it is worth saying again. There was no real dialogue between the citizens and the government on this issue and your government did not bother to seek out a wide range of professionals before making a decision. They do this even as more and more legitimate data comes out questioning the safety of 5G devices and radiation exposure in general. Like this bombshell dropped at the Michigan 5G Small Cell Hearings stating that 5G is definitely unsafe.

How about the NIH study that has been out for years now that they just totally blew off. The NIH study talks about how the effects of 5G on health are even less studied than the already understudied effects of other wireless technologies. On the whole, they won’t even talk to pros in their own community and they certainly won’t have an open council discussion with them or a formal meeting.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. There are hundreds of articles now from legitimate groups. I covered many of them in my last 5G article, and sent even more to our officials. Michael Lilliquist was the only one to have a dialogue with me about it, but ultimately he hid behind the FCC.

So what do we need? Our government will tell you there is nothing they can do. It’s a federal regulation, and blah, blah, blah. Well, since it concerns our health they need to do something. Ultimately, this is a technology we don’t even need, especailly if we have a good public fiber network. You know, the material all of this 5G stuff needs to be hooked up to anyway.

We’ve suggested the following reasonable actions:

1. The city halts the installation, and activation of all small cells until an independent wireless safety study carried out by a group the citizens choose can be conducted. This study should be commissioned by the city and should involve WWU.

2. The city opens up access to the existing public fiber network, so more citizens can get robust connections. Right how their argument for 5G largely includes coverage and safety. All small cells need to be backed up by fiber which is perfectly safe. Fiber would give us real choice. Those who wanted to hook up wireless devices in their own homes could, but not everyone would have to be subjected to wireless if they didn’t want to. Fiber is less expensive and more reliable, in the long run, anyway. Keep in mind that the big telecoms made this safety argument everytime a new wireless standard rolled out and never really delivered on their promises.

3. The city establishes a Dig Once policy based on the document we sent them which is based on successful Dig Once policies from several other U.S. cities including Mount Vernon (Technically Mount Vernon’s is called a Conduit Ordinance). All of them install conduit and fiber for less money than the COB is stating they need to spend for the same task.

4. Telecoms installing equipment by residences need to pay to shield those residences from EMF radiation. We do this with many other companies when their activity causes safety concerns — why not telecoms?

In the end, the real choice comes down to who has access to the fiber backing everything up. Right now, for or against 5G, communities have no real choice and no real compromises. In relation to this, I think of the example of smoking and its effects on our culture. There is no doubt that smoking causes death in many ways. So, we regulated it. People who didn’t want to be exposed to smoke could physically get away from it, in most cases. It’s not going to be like that with small cells. You will be bombarded all of the time with RF radiation. Are you so sure it’s safe that you are willing to take that risk? Based on the word of the most corrupt FCC in American history?! When their standards are way higher than other countries? If so, then why push that onto others when you could hook something up to your own fiber in the privacy of your own home if public fiber were available? That way, everyone gets to have choice.

If you could really limit your exposure, this would be a totally different ballgame, but with small cells you simply can’t — especially if you live in a city, in an old house, in a poor or middle class neighborhood.