SB 649 barely passes Assembly and Senate moves to the Governor
On Sept.13, the California Assembly voted on SB 649, the bill that would allow cell towers on every block. On the first vote, the bill did not get enough votes to pass. On the second it passed, but just barely. On Sept. 14 the Senate also barely passed the bill. Now SB 649 goes to the Governor’s desk. Since the bill received less than 50 votes in the Assembly, that could help support a veto. The Governor has until October 15 to sign or veto the bill.
UPDATE! Governor Jerry Brown VETOED SB 649. Please thank him!
Governor Jerry Brown
c/o State Capitol, Suite 1173
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 445-2841 Fax: (916) 558-3160
Learn more about SB 649 here: http://emfsafetynetwork.org/stop-sb-649-in-california/
How did your representative vote on SB 649? If they voted NO, or did not vote please consider sending them a thank you. If they votes yes, you can let them know you are disappointed with their vote.
Assembly person: 16 Noes: Baker, Caballero, Chiu, Cooley, Eggman, Cristina Garcia, Kalra, Levine, Muratsuchi, Nazarian, O’Donnell, Quirk-Silva, Ridley-Thomas, Mark Stone, Thurmond, Ting
17 No Votes Recorded: Berman, Bloom, Bonta, Calderon, Chau, Chu, Cunningham, Dahle, Friedman, Gallagher, Eduardo Garcia, Holden, Limón, Mullin, Reyes, Wood, Rendon
46 Ayes: Acosta, Aguiar-Curry, Travis Allen, Arambula, Bigelow, Bocanegra, Brough, Burke, Cervantes, Chávez, Chen, Choi, Cooper, Dababneh, Daly, Flora, Fong, Frazier, Gipson, Gloria, Gonzalez Fletcher, Gray, Grayson, Harper, Irwin, Jones-Sawyer, Kiley, Lackey, Low, Maienschein, Mathis, Mayes, McCarty, Medina, Melendez, Obernolte, Patterson, Quirk, Rodriguez, Rubio, Salas, Santiago, Steinorth, Voepel, Waldron, Weber
Senators: 10 Noes: Allen, Beall, Glazer, Hill, Jackson, Leyva, McGuire, Monning, Portantino, Wieckowski
8 No Votes Recorded: Bradford, Galgiani, Mendoza, Mitchell, Moorlach, Newman, Roth, Stern
22 Ayes: Anderson, Atkins, Bates, Berryhill, Cannella, De León, Dodd, Fuller, Gaines, Hernandez, Hertzberg, Hueso, Lara, Morrell, Nguyen, Nielsen, Pan, Skinner, Stone, Vidak, Wiener, Wilk
STOP cell towers on every block in California #STOPSB649
Cell towers emit harmful radiation.
If Senate Bill 649 passes you could awake in 2018 to find a cell tower outside your bedroom window, or on your children’s school. Senate Bill 649 would create a state mandated system of cell towers every couple hundred feet apart. SB 649 would harm California.
SB 649 would eliminate local control and public input. It would allow refrigerator-size cell equipment on utility poles, streetlights, sidewalks, in parks, on schools, hospitals, and any public building with no safety oversight. Only fire stations, coastal commission and historic areas are exempt. Cities would have no recourse to remove a tower even if every resident complained.
Peer-reviewed published science shows harmful effects of cell tower radiation include: fatigue, headaches, sleep problems, anxiety, ringing in the ears, heart problems, learning and memory disorders, increased cancer risk, and more. Children are especially vulnerable. See Biological Effects from Radiofrequency Radiation and www.emfscientist.org
SB 649 would harm nature. Peer reviewed published studies found radiation harms trees, birds, bees and insects. Studies of radiation impacts on wild birds documented nest abandonment, plumage deterioration and death. https://www.ntia.doc.gov/files/ntia/us_doi_comments.pdf More studies here: http://www.emfresearch.com/emf-wildlife/
SB 649 would lay the groundwork for 5G millimeter wave technology. What is 5G? See this fact sheet. Peer reviewed published science shows millimeter waves adversely affect health. https://goo.gl/gbBKHL More studies here.
300 cities, 47 (out of 58) counties, and dozens of health, environment, consumer, and justice organizations representing millions of Californians have opposed SB 649. Organizations opposed to SB 649 9:8:2017
Here are letters from specific groups: Environmental Working Group AARP American Association of Retired Persons Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments Ecological Options Network, EMF Safety Network Dr. Golomb Oppose SB 649
UPDATE! Governor Jerry Brown vetoed SB 649!
On October 15 Governor Brown Vetoed SB 649! Can you thank him? You can call his office, send a letter by mail, fax, or contact him through his website.
Governor Jerry Brown
c/o State Capitol, Suite 1173
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 445-2841 Fax: (916) 558-3160
- Flyer to hand out #VETOSB649
- Donate: http://emfsafetynetwork.org/donate-now/
SB 649 is a shameless gift to the telecom industry
If Senate Bill 649 passes…
in 2018 you could awake to a cell tower right outside your bedroom window.
Unless you live in a fire station, a coastal commission or a historical city, SB 649 would put cell towers in every neighborhood and countryside in California. SB 649 would only allow design of how refrigerator sized equipment on and near poles can look.
Over the counter permits would eliminate local review of radiation impacts and essentially deregulate the telecom industry. 300 California cities and 47 counties oppose SB 649.
SB 649 will increase harmful radiation pollution. Independent scientists are calling for immediate action to reduce radiation:
“Effects include increased cancer risk, cellular stress, increase in harmful free radicals, genetic damages, structural and functional changes of the reproductive system, learning and memory deficits, neurological disorders, and negative impacts on general well-being in humans.” https://www.emfscientist.org/
Peer reviewed published studies found radiation causes a wide range of health impacts including sleep problems, headaches, tinnitus, DNA damage and cancer. Children are more vulnerable.
“The harmful effects of electromagnetic fields, regardless of their frequencies, are now scientifically settled. Pregnant women (the fetus) and children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable.”- Dominique Belpomme, MD, MPH, Paris V Descartes University, European Cancer & Environment Research institute.
Peer reviewed published studies found radiation harms nature, trees, birds, and bees. Studies of radiation impacts on wild birds documented nest abandonment, plumage deterioration and death. https://www.ntia.doc.gov/files/ntia/us_doi_comments.pdf
Read our opposition letter here: SB 649 UPDATE 7:6:2017
SB 649 abandons the public to trust the telecom industry to certify radiation safety.
EMFSN, EON and CABTA in the news on KPFA and here.
Health, environment, consumer, and justice organizations representing millions of Californians have opposed SB 649 including: Environmental Working Group, Sierra Club California, California League of Conservation Voters, AARP American Association of Retired Persons, Association of Environmental Professionals, Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, California Communities Against Toxics, Center for Environmental Health, Citizens for Health, SF Public Utilities Commission, The Greenlining Institute, The Utility Reform Network, Teens Turning Green, As You Sow, Baby Safe Project, Bay Area Educators for Safe Tech, California Brain Tumor Association, Chico Chapter of Weston A. Price Foundation, Citizens For A Radiation Free Community, Consumers for Safe Cell Phones, Daily Acts, East Bay Move to Amend, Ecological Options Network, EMF Safety Network, Environmental Health Trust, Environmental Voices, EMR Protection Forum, Grassroots Environmental Education, Green Sangha, Health & Habitat Inc, Healthy 880 Communities, Law Offices of Harry V. Lehmann PC, Marin Chapter of the Weston A. Price Foundation, Mom’s Across America, Moms Advocating Sustainability, National Association For Children and Safe Technology, Parents for a Safer Environment, The Peoples Initiative Foundation, Physicians for Safe Technology, Radiation Research Trust, Sacramento Smart Meter Awareness, Sage Associates, Scientists for Wired Technology, Seniors for Environmental Awareness, Stop Smart Meters, Veterans for Radiation Safety, Windheim EMF Solutions, Wireless Radiation Alert Network, Wireless Radiation Education and Defense, and Your Own Health and Fitness.
The majority of these groups listed above oppose SB 649 based on the science of wireless harm.
The Communication and Conveyance committee passed the bill on July 12. The Assembly Appropriations Committee passed the bill on September 1.
The State Assembly and Senate barely passed SB 649 and the bill now awaits the Governor’s signature or veto. Find how your representatives voted here: http://emfsafetynetwork.org/sb-649-barely-passes-the-assembly-moves-to-the-senate/
Update on Oct.15, 2017 Governor Brown Vetoed SB 649!
Save copper telephone lines!
EMF Safety Network and Ecological Options Network filed these comments to the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) in WT Docket 17-84 on why copper lines must be retained and maintained. The FCC is discussing “retirement” of the copper line telephone system.
1. Copper landline phones save lives.
Copper landlines work when the power is out, fiber optics don’t. In an emergency, with no power, no phone, and no 911 services, people will be at risk for life threatening situations. Who will pay the price for this aggressive push to end copper landline service?
Seniors
Businesses
People with Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (EHS)
Low income people
Residents of rural areas
Hearing impaired
People who want a choice
2. Copper landline phone systems cost less.
A fiber optic VOIP system requires internet service, computer, router, VOIP device, plus a phone. A VOIP system costs more to purchase, maintain, and replace worn out devices. A VOIP uses more electricity. A copper landline phone is simpler and more cost effective because it only requires a phone.
3. Cell phones are not safe substitutes for corded copper landline phones.
Independent peer-reviewed published science links cell phone radiation to the risk of adverse health impacts, including cancer.
The National Toxicology Program found an increase in brain tumors from exposure to cell phone radiation. http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/results/areas/cellphones/index.html
The BioInitiative Report reviewed 2000 peer reviewed published studies and found an increased risk of brain cancer from cell and cordless phone radiation. www.bioinitiative.org
Independent scientists who have published peer-reviewed studies warn about the safety risks of cell phones, cell towers and other devices that emit radiation. www.emfscientist.org
IARC, an arm of the World Health Organization classifies cell phone radiation as a possible carcinogen. http://www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/pr/2011/pdfs/pr208_E.pdf
Brain tumors are the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in children age 0-14 http://www.abta.org/about-us/news/brain-tumor-statistics/
Smart Meters Affect the Human Heart
by Warren Woodward, Sedona, Arizona ~ May 31, 2017
Some people weren’t satisfied that my last video was proof enough that “smart” meters affect the human heart. They want to see me get tortured repeatedly, and they want to see others get tortured.
According to one skeptic, I may have had a condition that just happened to coincide with the “smart” meter transmission. How did he know my secret? I must confess I do have a condition. It’s called being healthy, and what the video showed is what happens when a healthy heart gets zapped by a “smart” meter.
Part II of EKG Proof That “Smart” Meters Affect the Human Heart shows that the results of the first video are repeatable. There’s another victim in the video too, so it should be obvious to all that “smart” meters affect everyone. If it’s not obvious to you then hook yourself up to an EKG and hang out near a “smart” meter; I’ve done it enough.
Some people were also concerned that the “smart” meter may have interfered with the EKG device itself and not the human heart. So we have a segment showing what happens when the “smart” meter transmits with the EKG running but with no human hooked up to it. Spoiler alert: nothing happens!
Can we get “smart” meters removed now, or do I have to show someone getting a heart attack?
Berkeley cell phone ordinance wins again!
The city of Berkeley won against the powerful CTIA, the wireless industry association who appealed Berkeley’s ordinance which requires cellphone retailers to provide customers with this notice:
“To assure safety, the Federal Government requires that cell phones meet radiofrequency (RF) exposure guidelines. If you carry or use your phone in a pants or shirt pocket or tucked into a bra when the phone is ON and connected to a wireless network, you may exceed the federal guidelines for exposure to RF radiation. Refer to the instructions in your phone or user manual for information about how to use your phone safely.”
The appeal was heard by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The judges determined that “there was no irreparable harm based on the First Amendment or preemption, that the balance of equities tipped in Berkeley’s favor, that the ordinance was in the public interest, and that an injunction would harm that interest.”
More information about the ordinance and the lawsuit here: http://www.saferemr.com/2014/11/berkeley-cell-phone-right-to-know.html
Stop radar in cars!
If you don’t want a smart meter on your home, you won’t want V2V in cars. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is proposing to mandate radar (called V2V technology) in all new cars and light trucks.
The stated purpose of the V2V is to improve driving safety by warning drivers of imminent crash risks in time to avoid them and pave the way for self-driving cars.
V2V is like a smart meter in your car! The antenna is omni-directional, allowed to transmit up to approximately 2 watts of power output at 10 Mhz and 5.9 Ghz with a range of 300 meters, or three football fields in length, every 100 milliseconds, or 10 pulses a second. The proximity of the transmitter to the driver and passengers is unknown, but could be inches to a few feet away from people in the car.
We strongly oppose mandating V2V in cars and light trucks. All roadway corridors will have significant increases in RFR exposure from V2V and supporting infrastructure. V2V poses increased safety hazards to drivers, passengers, people in homes who live along roadways, cyclists, and pedestrians. Increased RFR exposure from V2V threatens nature, trees, birds, bees and other insects. Vulnerable populations such as children, seniors, people with electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS), and people with medical implants are at greater risk of harm. Assertions of RFR harm are based in peer reviewed published science.
The NHTSA states they are taking RFR concerns seriously, however they make a couple of important inaccurate statements:
- No scientific evidence establishes a causal link between wireless device use and cancer or other illnesses.
- There’s no scientific basis to link EHS symptoms to EMF exposure.
- The National Environmental Policy Act does not apply.
- V2V will not have a disproportionate effect on children.
- Consumer education by the Federal Government and vehicle manufacturers may help to alleviate RFR concerns.
We believe V2V technology will not make driving safer, but will make driving more harmful to people and the environment, create mobility access barriers, and should be stopped.
Comments are due Wed. April 12, by 11:59 ET. Please comment on why you oppose V2V here: https://www.regulations.gov/comment?D=NHTSA-2016-0126-0009
EMF Safety Network posted these comments to NHTSA: EMF Safety Network V2V comments