Res. No. 88

Resolution calling on the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to study the long-term effects of living and working near multiple antennas and base stations.

By Council Members Vallone Jr., Boyland, Dilan, Fidler, Gentile, Gerson, Gioia, Koppell, Liu, Martinez, Nelson, Recchia Jr., Sanders Jr., Sears, Stewart, Weprin, Quinn, Monserrate, Perkins, Gennaro, Comrie, The Public Advocate (Ms. Gotbaum), Gallagher and Oddo

                     Whereas, According to “Talking Points - Wireless in the Community” by T-Mobile, the number of Americans using wireless services has increased more than 1,000 percent in the past decade, to approximately 135 million users; and

                     Whereas, In order to respond to the growing demands in cellular usage and to provide efficient cellular service, cellular providers have created networks of cell sites using wireless towers or antennas; and

                     Whereas, These wireless antennas, also called base stations, are communication devices that receive and transmit radio frequency (“RF”) energy; and

                     Whereas, In order to ensure maximum reach and to ensure minimum interference, these wireless antennas are located above ground, usually on top of buildings in commercial and residential areas, on water towers, and sometimes even in the tops of artificial trees installed to blend with natural surroundings; and

                     Whereas, The proliferation of these base stations has caused major concern in New York City about the possible health effects that such stations may cause; and

Whereas, While the Federal Communications Commission, the agency responsible for regulating wireless antenna emissions, stated in its report entitled Questions and Answers about Biological Effects and Potential Hazards of Radio-Frequency Electromagnetic Fields (“Q&A”), that it is unlikely that persons living or working within buildings with rooftop cellular and PCS antennas would be exposed to RF levels that could approach or exceed applicable safety limits, that statement is contradictory to other statements contained in Q & A, for example, that further investigation is needed to confirm the finding by some scientific literature which suggests that exposure to relatively low levels of RF radiation may cause human health hazards; and

                     Whereas, In addition, The World Health Organization states that although it is unlikely that exposure to RF from base stations will lead to cancer, there are also gaps in knowledge that need to be filled, such as the long-term effects of multiple base stations in a small area, before better health risk assessments about the effects of base stations can be made; and

Whereas, Thus, despite the prevalence of base stations in New York City, there seems to be no definite answer regarding the potential adverse health effects posed by living and working near these base stations; now, therefore, be it

                     Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to study the long-term effects of living and working near multiple cellular antennas and base stations.