NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Contact:
Myer Kutz, Dr. David Carpenter, Dr. Veronica Cruz, Guillermo Martinez
Proposal to Build Cell Towers on Bethlehem School Property Outrages Parents, Educators & Community Coalition, Group Calls on School Board to Stop Plans
Delmar, New York (10/07/09) – A coalition of parents, students, educators and university researchers today called on the Bethlehem Central School District to abandon plans to build microwave cellular towers on school property because of a range of concerns on the impact of such construction on the health of students and teachers, as well as the negative impact on property values to surrounding communities.
With potentially over 4,500 students being exposed daily to microwave radiation by constructing these cell towers on school property and their location in residential neighborhoods, the move by the School Board to begin the construction process is being called shortsighted and dangerous. Currently, there are 20 microwave towers affixed to a water tank 300 feet from the BethlehemMiddle School and its 1,400 students. School Board plans would have towers on two elementary schools and the high school.
According to Dr. David O. Carpenter, director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University at Albany, “There is increasingly strong evidence that prolonged exposure to radiofrequency radiation, such as that from radio and cell towers, increases the risk of leukemia, and that prolonged use of a cell phone held against the head increases the risk of brain cancer. It is foolish and dangerous to put a cell tower on a school where children will be exposed constantly to radiofrequency radiation.”
“The move by school districts across the nation to raise revenue by leasing school property to cellular telephone networks is a gamble that is placing our children in harms way. It is unacceptable and dangerous and all parents should be alarmed by such plans,” stated, Dr. Veronica Cruz, a parent with several children in the Bethlehem Central School District. “Other viable cost-saving alternatives need to be considered and are available.”
“New York’s troubled economy and the resulting fiscal constraints under which local districts must now contend with provide all the incentive the state needs to commit itself to the creation, retrofitting and maintenance of green schools,” said New York United Teachers Executive Vice President Alan Lubin. “There are, for example, about 5,410 acres of mostly flat-roofed school buildings statewide that can easily accommodate solar panels to reduce energy costs. The solar power generated by that much space could yield 12,550,900 KWH per day, resulting in roughly $1.25 million worth of energy daily. A move toward greener schools — which NYSUT supports — is not only one that is environmentally friendly, but also one that is economically sound.”
The move by school districts to consider placing microwave towers on school building and school property has met strong resistance in other communities across the nation. In New York City, private schools have been forced to break contracts with cellular companies and the New York City Board of Education issued a decision in 2003 that prohibited the placement of such towers on school buildings and property. “New York City has 1.1 million of the 3.3 million K-12 students in our State. “If children in New York City are being protected from the disease causing impact of these towers, then all of the Upstate children should be afforded the same protections,” stated Guillermo Martinez, co-chair of Parents Against Cell Towers (ParentsACT).
Myer Kutz, the spokesperson for the No School Towers Coalition in Bethlehem stated, "Delmar taxpayers support the schools not only to provide the best education for the town's children, but also to enhance values of homes throughout the town. It is ironic that the school superintendent and the district he leads would be promoting a project involving the tearing down of magnificent stands of mature trees and the placing of a massive tower virtually on top of school playing fields that would actually decrease property values."
"There has been virtually no public scrutiny or debate. In the face of a host of policy issues arising from the project such as student health and safety, property values, environmental damage, loss of school lands for alternative purposes, and unanticipated costs,” added Kutz, “the Bethlehem Board of Education has held no public discussion since the project was first mentioned and has shunned its responsibility for due diligence."
In August a group an international working group of scientists, researchers and public health policy professionals (The BioInitiative Working Group) released its report on electromagnetic fields (EMF) and health. It raises serious concern about the safety of existing public limits, set by the federal government, that regulate how much EMF is allowable from power lines, cell phones, cellular towers and many other sources of EMF exposure in daily life. The report co-edited by Dr. Carpenter found that Electromagnetic radiation from a variety of sources are linked to increased risks for childhood leukemia and may set the stage for adult cancers later in life.
The coalition called had asked the School Board to add them to today’s scheduled board meeting but where told that the issue would be discussed by the panel at a later date. Documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act revealed that both the School Board was far ahead schedule of its stated plans for the construction of the towers and that the monetary gain from the leasing of such school property to cellular companies would be insignificant revenue compared to the current $88 million school budget. The group plans to launch a web site with an online petition as a means raise public awareness and opposition.
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For Immediate Release
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Contact:
Myer Kutz, Dr. David Carpenter, Dr. Veronica Cruz, Guillermo Martinez
Proposal to Build Cell Towers on Bethlehem School Property Outrages Parents, Educators & Community Coalition, Group Calls on School Board to Stop Plans
Delmar, New York (10/07/09) – A coalition of parents, students, educators and university researchers today called on the Bethlehem Central School District to abandon plans to build microwave cellular towers on school property because of a range of concerns on the impact of such construction on the health of students and teachers, as well as the negative impact on property values to surrounding communities.
With potentially over 4,500 students being exposed daily to microwave radiation by constructing these cell towers on school property and their location in residential neighborhoods, the move by the School Board to begin the construction process is being called shortsighted and dangerous. Currently, there are 20 microwave towers affixed to a water tank 300 feet from the BethlehemMiddle School and its 1,400 students. School Board plans would have towers on two elementary schools and the high school.
According to Dr. David O. Carpenter, director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University at Albany, “There is increasingly strong evidence that prolonged exposure to radiofrequency radiation, such as that from radio and cell towers, increases the risk of leukemia, and that prolonged use of a cell phone held against the head increases the risk of brain cancer. It is foolish and dangerous to put a cell tower on a school where children will be exposed constantly to radiofrequency radiation.”
“The move by school districts across the nation to raise revenue by leasing school property to cellular telephone networks is a gamble that is placing our children in harms way. It is unacceptable and dangerous and all parents should be alarmed by such plans,” stated, Dr. Veronica Cruz, a parent with several children in the Bethlehem Central School District. “Other viable cost-saving alternatives need to be considered and are available.”
“New York’s troubled economy and the resulting fiscal constraints under which local districts must now contend with provide all the incentive the state needs to commit itself to the creation, retrofitting and maintenance of green schools,” said New York United Teachers Executive Vice President Alan Lubin. “There are, for example, about 5,410 acres of mostly flat-roofed school buildings statewide that can easily accommodate solar panels to reduce energy costs. The solar power generated by that much space could yield 12,550,900 KWH per day, resulting in roughly $1.25 million worth of energy daily. A move toward greener schools — which NYSUT supports — is not only one that is environmentally friendly, but also one that is economically sound.”
The move by school districts to consider placing microwave towers on school building and school property has met strong resistance in other communities across the nation. In New York City, private schools have been forced to break contracts with cellular companies and the New York City Board of Education issued a decision in 2003 that prohibited the placement of such towers on school buildings and property. “New York City has 1.1 million of the 3.3 million K-12 students in our State. “If children in New York City are being protected from the disease causing impact of these towers, then all of the Upstate children should be afforded the same protections,” stated Guillermo Martinez, co-chair of Parents Against Cell Towers (ParentsACT).
Myer Kutz, the spokesperson for the No School Towers Coalition in Bethlehem stated, "Delmar taxpayers support the schools not only to provide the best education for the town's children, but also to enhance values of homes throughout the town. It is ironic that the school superintendent and the district he leads would be promoting a project involving the tearing down of magnificent stands of mature trees and the placing of a massive tower virtually on top of school playing fields that would actually decrease property values."
"There has been virtually no public scrutiny or debate. In the face of a host of policy issues arising from the project such as student health and safety, property values, environmental damage, loss of school lands for alternative purposes, and unanticipated costs,” added Kutz, “the Bethlehem Board of Education has held no public discussion since the project was first mentioned and has shunned its responsibility for due diligence."
In August a group an international working group of scientists, researchers and public health policy professionals (The BioInitiative Working Group) released its report on electromagnetic fields (EMF) and health. It raises serious concern about the safety of existing public limits, set by the federal government, that regulate how much EMF is allowable from power lines, cell phones, cellular towers and many other sources of EMF exposure in daily life. The report co-edited by Dr. Carpenter found that Electromagnetic radiation from a variety of sources are linked to increased risks for childhood leukemia and may set the stage for adult cancers later in life.
The coalition called had asked the School Board to add them to today’s scheduled board meeting but where told that the issue would be discussed by the panel at a later date. Documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act revealed that both the School Board was far ahead schedule of its stated plans for the construction of the towers and that the monetary gain from the leasing of such school property to cellular companies would be insignificant revenue compared to the current $88 million school budget. The group plans to launch a web site with an online petition as a means raise public awareness and opposition.
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