World-News

THE Planning Service is satisfied the equipment O2 proposes to install at Dromore's Barban Hill meets public health guidelines and has recommended the application be approved. O2 took its application to erect equipment at an existing Orange Radio Base Station in the Dromore Rugby Club grounds to the Planning Appeals Commission ahead of a Planning Service determination. But in a letter to Lagan Valley MP Jeffrey Donaldson, the Planning Service announced its opinion that the application be approved. This is despite two letters of objection to the plans. Divisional Planning Manager Hilary Heslip said that as long as the proposal was within the guidelines set down by the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection it was not necessary for the Department to consider that aspect. While the letter said the planning system was not the place for determining health safeguards, it added that health issues were regarded as a material consideration and had been considered in formulating an opinion on the application. It was for the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to decide what measures were necessary to protect public health, it said, and where emissions from mobile telecommunications equipment were concerned DHSSPS accepted the need for, and contributed financially towards, further research. However, DHSSPS considers the ICNIRP guidelines for public exposure to electromagnetic fields, as accepted by the World Health Organisation, to be based on the best evidence available to date. "Accordingly," the letter went on, "where concern is raised about the health effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields, if the proposed development meets the ICNIRP guidelines in all respects it should not be necessary for the Department to consider this aspect further." The O2 application was accompanied by a Declaration of Conformity with ICNIRP Public Exposure Guidelines, stating that the proposal was within the international guidelines.

Omega read "Base Stations, operating within strict national and international Guidelines, do not present a Health Risk?" under: http://omega.twoday.net/stories/771911/

27 April 2006

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http://www.dromoreleader.com/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=3402&ArticleID=1468145

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WHO, EMF, Electromagnetic Radiation and Mobile Phones
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/1194586/