Science Concerns of Electromagnetic Radiation

Interference

The electromagnetic radiation levels allowed by the FCC in this community cause many electrical devices to malfunction. Once Jefferson County allows a broadcast rezoning, Jefferson County loses any ability to protect her present or future citizens and businesses, for generations to come, from the adverse effects of interference because the FCC preempts any decisions on interference. Jefferson County 's only remaining option would be to pursue the highly expensive course of forcing removal of these towers as a “public nuisance”. Professors from the Colorado School of Mines testified that the Tower would harm their technical equipment and research because of the severe RF interference (“RFI”) impacts .

The existing telecommunications towers on Lookout Mountain and Mt. Morrison have exposed and continue to expose nearby residents and businesses to such high levels of non-ionizing radiation that Jefferson County 's Independent RF expert; Jim Hart stated that Lookout Mountain residents experience “dreadful interference.” The FCC allows digital TV broadcasters to radiate any part of Jefferson County with more than four thousand times more radiation than the FCC blanketing interference radiation threshold. This radiation has led to a number of adverse impacts to residents, including interference with home appliances, computers, garage door openers, and other electronic devices caused by the electromagnetic radiation (“EMR”) generated by high power telecommunication towers. The radiation has also interfered with commercial, scientific, medical, emergency services and institutional electronic equipment used by local businesses, the Colorado School of Mines, the City and other entities. Professors from the Colorado School of Mines testified that the Tower would harm their technical equipment and research because of the severe RF interference (“RFI”) impacts. Residents have spent substantial sums trying to shield homes and business from the radiation and the interference has destroyed some businesses. CARE twice petitioned the FCC for relief from the blanketing interference and received no relief because the FCC does not protect the consumer from interference.

Professor Olhoeft presented a vivid example of one of the many adverse consequences of this broadcast radiation interfering with equipment in this example of the interference to a gas line locator. At a house in Golden near the base of Lookout Mountain Qwest was trying to install a new telephone line and hit a plastic gas line causing gas to enter the house and resulting in a large destructive explosion. It probably could have been prevented but the technology to find those plastic pipes does not work well in the vicinity of Lookout Mountain because of the transmission interference.

Resident Dick Over had to give up his Tape Duplication Service business because of interference from Channel 6.

The adverse effects of interference to electrical equipment from high-power TV and FM broadcast antennae extend for many miles and increase over time as antenna power levels increase, digital broadcasting is added and evolving business, scientific and residential electrical equipment becomes more sensitive to interference.

Local history documents that as radiation levels increased, and FOX TV activated a digital antenna on Lookout Mountain, interference problems got worse. Examples of this include the following:

At 3 miles, Mt. Vernon Country Club frequently experiences interference to sound equipment, such as wireless microphones, from the current Lookout Mountain antennae.

At 7 miles, the Department of Commerce Boulder Labs projected that the amount of interference from the Pinnacle Towers proposal on Eldorado Mountain could have disrupted their research, even though the proposed broadcast TV tower would have been 7 miles away. In Public Hearings, County Commissioner Sheehan repeatedly expressed concern that the Pinnacle Tower proposal would disrupt the research of this lab.

8 miles, this is the distance to which the FCC is currently considering extending the “blanketing interference” radius of digital television broadcast signals. “Blanketing Interference” occurs wherever broadcast signals have strength greater than 0.084 microwatts per centimeter squared. This is only 0.042% of the Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE) to RF radiation for analog broadcasts-- that is, 0.042% of 200 microwatts per centimeter squared -- and 0.021% of the new, higher MPE for digital (twice the analog MPE, at 400 microwatts per centimeter squared). The FCC has not yet adopted any rules protecting businesses or residents from interference caused by television antennae.

Over 10 miles away, the FCC rules require notification of hospitals that could have equipment, such as that used in intensive care, which could be adversely affected by digital television. One of the LCG broadcasters recently had to notify Children's Hospital of their plans for digital TV on Lookout Mountain.

http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Engineering_Technology/News_Releases/1998/nret8003.html

Interference has driven several businesses from Lookout Mountain due to interference. Existing businesses are experiencing frustrating equipment malfunctions with computers, phones, answering machines, dictation equipment, digital scales, fax machines, and modems. High tech geophysics companies in Golden are considering moving away due to interference. Residential interference problems to baby monitors, burglar alarms, cable TV, electric dog fence, security gates, electric musical instruments, electronic science kits, garage door openers, hearing aids, karaoke machines, keyless car entries, radios, sound systems, television, Walkie Talkies and electric wheelchairs have been reported.

There is a very real likelihood that if you are having unexplained difficulties with any of the above that it is due to interference from the high strength broadcasting.

The nuisance of high-power electromagnetic radiation passing into the homes of residents has driven a number of residents to take action to shield their homes. A number of residents have placed metallic film on their windows that reflects the radiation at a cost ranging from $900 to $2000. One resident has spent $24,000 to date to shield his home from this radiation.

Please address questions or comments to both:

Deb Carney 303- 526-9666
dcarney_care@yahoo.com

Recommended resource websites

http://co.jefferson.co.us/ext/dpt/public_works/planning/index.htm

www.citymtnviews.com/antennamainpage.php4