My child attends Valentine Elementary School, and so I read Joe Piasecki‘s article (“Parents worried about cell towers,” Oct. 7) in the Pasadena Sun with interest. I attended San Marino Unified school board meetings during which the cellphone tower issue was discussed and one thing is clear: The school board is doing all it can to justify keeping the towers in place.

At the Sept.18 meeting, the board voted to hire Drew Thatcher to measure the electromagnetic radiation levels in the San Marino campuses. Parents brought it to the board’s attention that Thatcher is a well-known expert who was hired by cellphone companies on multiple occasions to defend cell-industry interests. Unconcerned by potential for bias, the board voted to hire Thatcher.

At the Oct. 9 board meeting, Thatcher presented that all levels of radiation around the campuses were below FCC limits. There is ample data to support the fact that FCC limits are woefully inadequate in determining the health effects of cell towers. There are numerous studies that show three-fold and four-fold increases of cancer in people who live or work near cell towers. On Oct. 23, (Public Study Session 5, p.m. at Huntington Middle School Auditorium) the board will listen to the findings of engineer Ken Foster. Foster was recommended by Thatcher and is thus fully expected to espouse an opinion in accordance with Thatcher’s to the effect that there is nothing to worry about. Our fight is documented at http://removecelltowers.blogspot.com.

The money is not worth harming the students. Hundreds of studies have shown health risks linked to EMF from cell towers; let’s protect our most vulnerable citizens, the children.

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This article is available at: 
http://www.pasadenasun.com/opinion/tn-pas-1020-cell-towers-arent-worth-the-health-risk,0,1001697.story