There is a disturbing trend in the United States (and probably in other countries as well) for cell towers being installed directly on school property in exchange for modest payments from the cell phone carriers.

On December 17, 2013, a school board in Pasco County, Florida voted to install a cell tower directly on school grounds of the Seven Oaks Elementary School in Wesley Chapel, Florida.  Parents circulated a petition that garnered over a thousand signatures against the cell tower installation, but to no avail.  Please view the short video clip/ news report below.

[The above video is an excerpt from a FOX13 Tampa Bay television station news report.  This video is presented in the public’s interest and contains material used pursuant to Fair Use Doctrine under 17 U.S.C.]

These cell tower installations fly in the face of the growing world-wide opposition to the installation of Wi-Fi in schools.  It seems incredible that school board officials would add insult to injury by essentially employing an “all of the above” approach by exposing our children to as much radiofrequency (RF) radiation as they possibly can.  Evidently for some schools, Wi-Fi is not enough; they need to add cell phone radiation to the mix as well.

In Naperville, Illinois, School District 203 is also considering installation of cell towers on district property and facilities.  For a related story, refer to the following link:  http://skyvisionsolutions.org/rf-health-effects/naperville-school-district-203-on-cell-towers/.

According to the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM), in a position paper issued in November 2013, called “Wireless Radiofrequency Radiation in Schools”:

“There is consistent, emerging science that shows people, especially children who are more vulnerable due to developing brains and thinner skulls, are being affected by the increasing exposure to wireless radiation.  In September 2010, the Journal of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine-Fertility and Sterility, reported that only four hours of exposure to a standard laptop using WiFi caused DNA damage to human sperm.”

“In December 2012 the American Academy of Pediatrics, representing 60,000 pediatricians, wrote to Congress requesting that it update the safety levels of microwave radiation exposure especially for children and pregnant women.”

“The AAEM strongly supports the use of wired Internet connections and encourages avoidance of radiofrequency [radiation] such as from Wi-Fi, cellular and mobile phones and towers, and ‘smart meters’.”

“While the debate ensues about the dangers of RF, it is the doctors who must deal with the after effects.  Until we can determine why some get sick and others do not, and some are debilitated for indeterminate amounts of time, we implore you to not take the risk, particularly with the health of so many children with whose safety you have been entrusted.  Avoidance will always be the best policy.  It should be reflected by minimizing RF exposures in public spaces.”

SkyVision Solutions recommends, at a minimum, the avoidance of chronic, involuntary, and unnecessary RF exposure.  This is the sort of exposure that would be received on school grounds from cell tower emissions.  Mere compliance with outdated FCC exposure guidelines cannot be the sole criteria by which RF exposure on school property is determined to be “safe” or prudent.  Parents need to speak up for their children before it is too late in their community.

One countertrend exists in India.  Both the State of Rajasthan and the City of Mumbai have passed laws prohibiting the placement of cellular antennae on the roofs of hospitals and schools and in playgrounds because they are “hazardous to life.”  Even the Indian Supreme Court has held that the radiations are hazardous and rejected an appeal filed against an interim order for relocation of towers away from schools.  The bench relied upon the inter-ministerial meeting of Central government of May 2012, wherein it was emphasized that the electromagnetic radiations emitted from cellphones as well as towers erected for mobile communication have both thermal and non-thermal effects.   It has further been held on the basis of report of the inter-ministerial committee that RF radiations are harmful, causing cancer, brain tumors, digestive disorder, tachycardia, and other diseases and disorders in the human body.  Furthermore, the Indian court stated that a mobile phone should not be used for more than 20-25 minutes per day but that consumers were not being made aware of this fact by the mobile manufacturing as well as service providing company, and for which mass awareness is required.  [Source article at the following link:
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/294813/no-mobile-towers-near-schools.html]