Sheffield and Great Barrington, MA Voters Approve Halt on 5G Applications
Berkshire County, MA – At the Sheffield and Great Barrington annual town meetings May 1st, 2023 residents voted in favor of the citizen’s petition Article 32 which requires the town to hold applications for 5G installations until the “FCC completes the DC Circuit court-mandated Environmental Review of the entire 800,000 to 1 million wireless telecommunication facilities roll out to the conditions as stated in the NEPA Policy Act 1969 including studies from scientists independent from industry, who have fully investigated millimeter wave 5G small cell technology safety; and that the FCC regulations have been updated to include measures that comply with the results of this review.”
Citing scientific evidence of biological harm from wireless radiation, an eleven-thousand page document was submitted as part of a legal case filed against the FCC by the Environmental Health Trust, the environmental health organization led by Dr. Devra Davis, a member of the team awarded the Nobel Peace Prize as a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change scientists. The Court found that the FCC did not adequately review recorded evidence of people harmed by wireless radiation and found the FCC ignored the scientific evidence indicating harmful biological impacts. Based on this and the fact that the FCC has not updated the safety limits to include 5G small cell millimeter frequencies, petitioners want to put a hold on 5G small cell millimeter wave installations until they are proven safe.
Specific concerns from the residents target the studies revealing millimeter wave frequency harm to pollinators. As agricultural communities, voters want to be convinced that their crops will not suffer if the myriad of 5G transmitters negatively affect the bees. Their warrant asks for input from scientists who are independent from the telecom industry who can give an unbiased report. The petitioners related telecom’s rollout of 5G without sufficient research as similar to big tobacco’s promotion of cigarettes. It was years later and many cancer deaths before regulations were enacted limiting smoking in public places and adding warning labels to packaging.
Voters spoke out that we want to know for sure a similar fate will not bestow residents where electro-hypersensitivity syndrome becomes the norm with no recourse to remove the transmitters causing the problem. Sheffield and Great Barrington joined several other communities in Massachusetts that are focused on regulating 5G small cell installations. In response to limited phone service in some areas, the petitioners cited that the 5G small cells are not about making a phone call. They are short range and were designed to make streaming faster. But, testing has subsequently proven its hardly faster than 4G from cell towers, and the small cell frequencies are disrupted by rain and trees so are unreliable.
The Scientific Alliance for Education (S.A.F.E.) in Sheffield has provided seminars in both Sheffield and Great Barrington recently so residents could avail themselves of the non-industry research they have compiled. It seems to have paid off in both towns as the petitioners turned out and even applauded when statements for the Article was read. Nina Anderson, President of S.A.F.E. says,”this is the first step in trying to protect our towns from intrusion by industry who has not complied with the court order and not proven this technology is safe.” Details on this and other wireless concerns can be found on their website www.SafeHelpsYou.org.