Download Statement about Health Effect of HV Power lines

Health:
Comment forRio Arriba County Council 12-15-2016
Melvin C. Chaney
17 Vereda Romero
Santa Fe, NM 87506
Phone 505-455-3493
[email protected]
The literature pertaining to the effects on a person’s wellbeing and health run the range of
conclusions from no effect to yes, there appears to be a relationship with the incidence of
leukemia in children. The incidence of leukemia in a control group of children exposed to
magnetic field strength less than 1 milligauss* (deemed to be harmless) follows.
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common form in children and
represents 78% of cases of leukemia (2). (ALL is also called acute lymphocytic
leukemia.) From 1991 to 1994, the incidence rate was 6 cases per 100,000 children under
five. ALL reaches its greatest frequency in children between 2 and 6, with a peak of more
than 8 cases per 100,000 children per year at ages 3 to 4 (2). Rates then decline to age
20. Scientists believe that this pattern means that two genetic changes are needed to cause
the disease and that one occurs before a child is born.1
Childhood leukaemia is continuing to increase. Thanks to better treatment, most children
are surviving this illness into adulthood. The treatment is very difficult for the children and it
disrupts many families even to breaking point. It would be much better to avoid the causes of
leukaemia.2
Statistical analysis becomes very iffy with such small numbers per 100,000. It is not
surprising that duplicate studies could have results ranging from say, 0 to 10 per100,000. If a
number of studies are pooled to improve statistics the result is that the incidence is higher
among children who live in an environment where magnetic field strengths are higher.
There are about 2000 students attending schools on the campus located in the Jacona
Grant immediately south of Hwy 502 and west of Pojoaque Pueblo’s west boundary. These
students range in age from pre-school through high school. Hunt/Verde in their information
sheets shows their transmission line running north/south immediately east of the Jacona
Grant East boundary. Off setting the line further to the east to allow for the width of the
right of way I find, using Google Earth, that every one of these 2000 students will be within
1000 feet of the line.
Now let’s consider the Hernandez Elementary students numbering about 170 students ranging
from Kindergarten to 6th Grade. From scaling on Google Earth it is apparent that all of these
students will be within 700 feet of the Verde Line. In fact they would be almost right under it
when they are on the playground.
Here is a table of “safe distances” from high voltage lines carried on metal towers3
Safety Distances from Various EMF
Sources:
Possible EMF Safety Distances
To Consider
for Common EMF Sources
"General Public Precautionary Levels" →
ELF
Magnetic
Fields
ELF
Electric
Fields
Radio
Frequency
(RF)
& Microwaves
Distance to
0.5 Milligauss
(mG) or less
Distance to
0.5 AC Volts
on skin (VAC)
Distance to
0.010
Microwatts/cm²
(μW/cm²)
(See Notes 2, 3, 4)
(See Notes 2, 3, 4)
700 feet
1000 feet
(See Note 1)
(See Notes 2, 3, 4)
Power Lines
High voltage power lines (on metal towers)
Note the safe distances of 700 and 1000 feet !
Now I call your attention to studies made in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Quote:
POSSIBLE HEALTH EFFECTS FROM ELECTRIC AND MAGNETIC FIELDS:
The Committee formed a subcommittee to review the available data, and to make a
presentation to the full group. After much review and discussion, the Committee concluded
that this issue has no definitive answer. In the face of this uncertainty, the group endorses the
concept of prudent avoidance as adopted by the Colorado Public Utility Commission, and
believes the recommendations of this report are in compliance with a policy of prudent
avoidance4 .
Think of it, our Pojoaque Valley students will be exposed to these electro-magnetic fields
for 5 to 6 hours a day for 240 days a year for 14 years of their lives. Fact: The student body at
the Pojoaque Valley campus comprises non-Indian children from pre school through high
school and the youths of San Ildefonso, Pojoaque and Nambe through the four years of high
school. I wonder if Pueblo parents have thought about this. Hernandez students will be
exposed for a shorter time but at an age when they seem to be more sensitive.
Leukemia is not the only villain in this picture; the incidences of lymphoma, central nervous
system disease, brain tumors in children and autism have been tied, again marginally, to
electromagnetic exposure, both at low and higher wireless frequencies.
4. Take the evidence as a call to action.5
Both EMF and RFR exposures are already classified as IARC 2B Possible Human Carcinogens.
The substantial scientific literature on EMF and RFR effects on DNA, on immune and bloodbrain barrier disruption, on stress proteins, on circadian rhythms and hormone disregulation,
and on cognition, sleep, disruption of neural control and altered brainwave activity all argue
for reduction of exposures now, and better coordinated research in these areas.
And I should mention that there are other health effects related both physically and
emotionally to power lines striding across the country side and close to our homes.
Health Risks and Power Lines.6
According to research and publications put out by the World Health Organization (WHO), EMF
such as those from power lines, can cause:







Headaches
Fatigue
Anxiety
Insomnia
Prickling and/or burning skin
Rashes
Muscle pain
I conclude with the following from my own personal experience, not to elicit sympathy, but
to show that the above are real and of consequence.
1975, Jean, my wife, came home from shopping one day and found a small crew of men on
our property.
“What are you doing?”
“We are surveying for a small power line.”
“ We did not give you permission to do this here.”
“We work for a utility, PNM, and we can go where we need to go without permission.”
And they continued their work.
Jean was fighting mad. By that time I had learned that you don’t make Jean fighting mad.
That was the beginning of a struggle that finally ended around 2000 when PNM abandoned the
effort. Anger, sleepless nights, meetings, fatigue, anxiety, we had them all.
I thought it had ended, Now comes $Verde$ and I see people suffering in the same way.
These are real and debilitating illnesses to be seriously considered. And if $Verde$ should
succeed I’m certain these symptoms would continue at some level.
Thank you for your attention and consideration of these issues.
*Milligauss: Among the men who early mapped out electricity and magnetism were Volta,
Ampere ,Ohm and Gauss. They have been honored by attaching their names to the unit of
Electrical potential, Volts; of current, Amperes; of Resistance to current flow, Ohms; and of
magnetic field strength, Gauss. Intuitively, a milligauss is a thousandth of a Gauss. For
example, the Earth’s magnetic field is less than 650 milligauss. Since it is constant it is
harmless. When a magnetic field changes in strength a voltage is produced and currents will
be induced in conducting mediums, think in a child’s body for instance.. Our electrical grid
operates at 60 cycles per second. The magnetic field is changing in strength and direction 60
times a second. Voila, current, there is the rub.
1. www.envirohealthpolicy.net/kidstest/Cancer%20Pages/Individual%20Cancers/Leukemia.htm
2. http://www.powerwatch.org.uk/health/leukaemia.asp
3. http://www.emfinfo.org/guidelines-distance.html
4. See attached sheet: TK 3251 US 1993. Colorado Springs, Colo.
Undergrounding Policy Electric undergrounding policy recommendation Pg. 9
5. http://www.bioinitiative.org/report/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/sec20_2012_Findings_in_Autism.pdf
6. https://www.safespaceprotection.com/emf-health-risks/emf-health-effects/power-lines/