Parents want what is best for their kids. It may mean protecting them from bullies and drugs. Parents of kids who go to John A Sippel Elementary are trying to protect their kids from power lines.
The Public Utility Commission of Texas has received several letters of the past couple of weeks protesting the route of power lines.
The letters are a template with a few minor changes made to things like, number of kids, names and addresses. Each letter quotes the same health studies about how there is not enough evidence to say these power lines are safe.
Here is the five main points found in the letters:
1. On May 4, 1999 the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of the National
Institutes of Health in NIH Publication No. 99-449 NIEHS published a Report on Health
Effects from Exposure to Power-Line Frequency Electric and Magnetic Fields which,
Kenneth Olden, Ph.D. – the Director of the study, states on page two of his letter to
congress submitting this report: “The NIEHS concludes that ELF-EMF exposure cannot
be recognized at this time as entirely safe because of weak scientific evidence that
exposure may pose a leukemia hazard.”
2. In June 2002 three scientists who worked for the California Department of Health
Services (DHS) were asked by the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to
review the studies about possible health problems from electric and magnetic fields…
They submitted An Evaluation of the Possible Risks from Electric and Magnetic Fields
(EMFs) from Power Lines, Internal Wiring, Electrical Occupations, and Appliances in
June 2002. In 21.0 Conclusions of the evaluation, page 380, at line 10 it states that “It
should be noted that all of the review panels thought that the childhood leukemia
epidemiology warranted the classification of EMF as a “possible” carcinogen and thus
did not agree with the biophysical arguments that EMF physiological effects (and
therefore pathological effects) were “impossible”. ”
3. On June 2, 2005, Gerald Draper, honorary senior research fellow, submitted a paper to
the British Medical Journal on: Childhood Cancer in relation to distance from high
voltage power lines in England and Wales: a case-control study. Mr. Draper is affiliated
with the Childhood Cancer Research Group, University of Oxford. Conclusions (from
the abstract) states: “There is an association between childhood leukemia and
proximity of home address at birth to high voltage power lines and the apparent risk
extends to a greater distance than would have been expected from previous studies.”
Note that this is a large study of 29,081 children over 30 years, 1965 – 1995, and is the
first time effects were noted beyond 200 meters.
4. On September 20, 2010 a group of cancer researchers from all over the world submitted
this report to the British Journal of Cancer titled “Pooled analysis of recent studies on
magnetic fields and childhood leukemia”. Conclusions: “Our results are in line with
previous pooled analyses showing an association between magnetic fields and
childhood leukemia.”
5. On August 15, 2012 the International Journal of Cancer published in Vol. 131, Issue 4,
pages 769 – 778 a study titled “Impact of high electromagnetic field levels on childhood
leukemia incidence” by J. C. Teepen and J. A. van Dijck of the Department of
Epidemiology, Radboud University Nijmgen Medical Centre, The Netherlands. Quoting
from the abstract of the study it states that “Reducing exposure from power lines near
densely populated areas and schools is advised.” Note that this appears to be the most
recent study.
Here are some of the names of the people who have sent in letters so far:
2/25/2013 JENNIFER S. BELLUCCI https://interchange.puc.state.tx.us/WebApp/Interchange/Documents/40684_319_750841.PDF
2/25/2013 BRENDA SUMNER https://interchange.puc.state.tx.us/WebApp/Interchange/Documents/40684_320_750843.PDF
2/25/2013 TONYA HAECKER https://interchange.puc.state.tx.us/WebApp/Interchange/Documents/40684_321_750844.PDF
2/25/2013 STEPHEN & LYNN GRENIER https://interchange.puc.state.tx.us/WebApp/Interchange/Documents/40684_322_750842.PDF
2/27/2013 VINOD GIDVANI-DIAZ https://interchange.puc.state.tx.us/WebApp/Interchange/Documents/40684_323_751063.PDF
Donny Eisenbach
Donny has been writing about the deregulated energy markets since early 2007. His knowledge has helped consumers lower their electricity cost.
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