Letters

I know this is a very uncertain time we are now living in. Many families are being affected. Many families are mourning the loss of loved ones, lost jobs, and some are literally living in constant fear.

Unfortunately, we all know that, in spite of the desperate concerns, there are people or companies that take advantage of distractions — and these desperate times. At what cost?

This information is not new to our village. Several years ago, under Mayor Mark Epley’s watch, we let our voices be heard, and we successfully rejected the dangerous erection of a cell tower on a local church. It was, if I recall, a struggle involving money vs. the lives and health of the people in the village.

I just wanted to send a friendly reminder why it was rejected then, and why it’s even more important and critical to reject this new proposal to erect more powerful cell towers at Cooper Beach and, God forbid, at Village Hall [“Coopers Beach Cell Cupola Coming Soon,” 27east.com, April 7].

Cellphone towers emit mass amounts of harmful RF (radio frequency) radiation, also known as microwave radiation. If you have ever seen the huge size and quantity of power cables that run these towers, you know that the amperage they use is significant as well. Often, the amount of radiation that actually makes it to our homes is a lot less significant than the WiFi devices in our homes, which put out the same type of radiation.

But they are putting cell towers now close to buildings where people live, work and go to school. The World Health Organization has listed this RF radiation as a possible carcinogen. So, yes, the radiation is harmful. The closer you are physically located to a cell tower, the more harmful it is.

The RF radiation from cellphone towers can mess with your body’s own electromagnetic fields, causing many kinds of potential health problems, such as headaches, memory loss, cardiovascular stress, low sperm count, birth defects and various types of cancer.

There are literally hundreds of peer-reviewed scientific studies from all around the world that show these dangers. RF radiation of sufficient intensity heats tissues, but the energy is insufficient to cause ionization; hence, it is called non-ionizing radiation. These non-thermal exposure levels have resulted in biological effects in humans, animals and cells, including an increased cancer risk.

The Press article states that it’s at no cost to the village (taxpayers) — they will install for free! Yeah! And, I add, maybe even pay the village for installing cell towers! At what cost?

Okay, my motto: “Are you part of the problem or part of the solution?”

God have mercy on us all!

Brenda Simmons

Southampton