Surrounded by Death
Document Title: Surrounded by Death
Document Ref No: R9702271
First Published: Reflections - TBA
Publication Date: 27th February 1997
Author's Name: Father Shay Cullen, SSC
Everyday we see new power cables and cellular phone antenna being erected
in the cities and the countryside. How safe are we from the electro- magnetic
fields radiated by these electric power cables, and cellular antennae? There
is a growing body of convincing evidence that when they are close to houses,
offices schools and playgrounds they can be a deadly health risk. Causing
cancer and other illnesses. This is what the World Health Organization (WHO)
has to say:
"Electromagnetic fields represent one of the most common and the fastest growing environmental influences in our lives, about which anxiety and speculation are spreading. Health effects such as cancer, changes in behavior, memory loss, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, AID's, sudden infant death syndrome and many others, including increase in the suicide rates have been suggested as resulting from exposure to electromagnetic fields,"
The parishioners of St. Joseph's Church and college in Juan Luna St. Tondo, Manila have a terrible story to tell. Last year when painting the outer school walls a powerful electric current jumped from nearby electric power cables to the aluminum poles of the painters rollers. It killed one painter instantly and left two others terribly burnt the entire length of their bodies. Nothing was done to reroute the cables. The cables are only a few meters from the school walls and the children show signs of unusual behavior and unexplained sicknesses. Are the cables to blame?
Now Smart cell phones are planning to erect a cellular antenna on a vacant lot near the school. Ramon Isberto, the Public Relations officer of Smart, told me that Smart would suspend the project and review the danger factors out of public concern. Extelcom has expressed similar concern. These private companies are wise to respond to the anxieties of the public protests and rallies can only hurt business.
Not so with the likes of NAPACOR. In Olongapo they erected huge pylons carrying high powered cables along the highway to supply power to the SBMA. The cables passed close to the PREDA Children's Home just up the road from Gordon's park. The Staff protested to Mayor Gordon, Guido Delgado, President of Napocor, Secretary Viray, Secretary of Energy, all to no avail. They never acknowledged a single letter from the many sent.
The deadly and ugly cables were to pass over Gordon Park in Kalaklan too. Instead, mindful of the danger from the cables and the effect it has on the property values of Gordon Park, Kate Gordon and her Husband Richard Gordon Chairman of the SBMA, and his brother Congressman James Gordon, at an estimated cost of one and a half million pesos of tax payers money got Guido Delgado of Napocor to erect an extra pylon for them and reroute the dangerous cables away from GORDON PARK. But there was no such effort to reroute them away from the the Children's Home.
For three months the staff of the Children's home and this writer presented to them the latest scientific research from the United States and Sweden pointing out the scientific data that indicated high levels of danger. The request was to reroute at least one if not two pylons along the route far from the children's home but they refused and denied there was any danger. The Department of Health said during a congressional hearing that they should have abided by the principle of Prudent Avoidance because there is no proof that the cables do not cause cancer or other ill effects.
The first line of defense of the NAPOCOR is denial. They claim that the cables are not dangerous. They quote out-dated international standards that are self - serving and ignore the latest results of scientific studies carried out in the United States by nine of the most eminent scientists. These scientists, leaders in the field of electro- magnetic radiation, are the advisory board of the US Government.
Their report, completed in 1996, recommended immediate increases in the levels of safety and distances of cables from human habitation. It was was so explosive and threatening to the electric power companies that it was suppressed and rewritten to down- play the evidence of danger. However the original findings were leaked to the media.
Look around you today and you will see cables close to schools and homes, transformers close to offices and bedrooms, cellular antennae on top of hospitals and you know that we are living under a deadly threat that is unseen but lethal. END
