South San Francisco, CA December 8, 2023 Press Release
Permitted Cell Towers Not for Cell Coverage; Overlap with Existing Broadband Internet Coverage
SAN MATEO, December 7, 2023 – A rapidly growing group of San Mateo residents – currently more than 140 households – has been urging the San Mateo City Council, Sustainability and Infrastructure Commission, and San Mateo City Manager to heed concerns related to the health effects of radiofrequency emissions and fire hazards posed by the pending placement of wireless facilities throughout San Mateo neighborhoods. The group argues that in contrast to other California cities, San Mateo’s Municipal Code is too permissive with respect to the placement of these facilities. They demand that the City better regulate the placement of these facilities, enforce preferences for non-residential areas under the existing Municipal Code and Design Standards, revoke existing permits, and halt granting new permits in residential areas. Furthermore, the group argues that these placements overlap with existing broadband internet coverage and pose a risk for decreased property values.
Cities must regulate the placement of wireless facilities
“Wireless facilities are a necessary evil. As a necessary evil, however, you do want to regulate them to minimize the adverse impacts of these facilities, much like a sewage treatment facility. Just because you need one doesn’t mean you put it anywhere,” stated National telecommunications expert attorney Andrew Campanelli.
Campanelli continued, “The question is: ‘do local governments have the power to control how many facilities get built in their jurisdiction and where they go?’ The answer is YES. When Congress enacted the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the first thing they did was make a provision preserving the control to local governments. That provision established the general rule that Congress preserves to local governments the general authority to regulate the placement, construction, and modification of wireless facilities. In the 1996 Telecommunications Act, the regulation of the operations of Wireless Telecommunications Facilities was never preempted from local zoning authority. The city can control where these things go and how many are built.”
Wireless facilities pose health and safety risks; threaten to decrease home values
“Radiofrequency radiation from cell facilities has been reported to negatively impact cellular mitochondrial function, generate reactive oxygen species free radicals, and immune cells, which increases our risk for various diseases and cancer,” said Vikash J. Bhagwandin, Ph.D., Cancer Biologist and Tumor Immunologist and San Mateo resident.
Susan Foster, honorary firefighter with the San Diego Fire Department and a fire and utility consultant, stated, “Each new cell tower in San Mateo represents added fire risk for a city situated in an already Moderate Fire Risk Zone. Cell towers are electrical devices and every electrical device is going to fail. Fire can result from a number of factors, including a lightning strike because of the increased incidence of lightning strikes by cell towers. When a cell tower catches on fire, it cannot be extinguished through conventional means until the grid has been cut. That can take up to 60 minutes. Therefore, all cell towers should be set back from residential, schools, preschool and daycare centers – virtually any place where numbers of people need precious time to escape.”
In addition to the health and safety impact on San Mateo residents, studies have shown that the placement of wireless facilities near homes may cause property values to decrease by as much as 20%. Moreover, these facilities are not providing a necessary service to residents because the City already has broadband internet coverage.
A large group of San Mateo residents will attend the San Mateo Sustainability and Infrastructure Commission meeting on Dec.13, at 7:00 p.m. at City Hall, located at 330 W. 20th Avenue, San Mateo to address this topic. In addition, residents are encouraged to email the City Council at citycouncil@cityofsanmateo.org
Please see the additional sources below.
Health effects:
https://ehtrust.org/
Fire risks:
https://mdsafetech.org/2019/
Impact on home values:
https://www.emfanalysis.com/
For more information, please contact:
Lindsay Raike: (650) 400-8975
Station 61 and 65 have cell towers close to the station
I hope they are okay