Subject: Cell Tower on rural farm near St. Paul, MN (Federer)..
Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 160832 -0600 (CST)
From: "Roy L. Beavers"
To: emfguru
--------------------------------------------------
.......A very nice report from Minnesota.....!! (Also, folks with court
cases -- Wayne Federer has some credentials and knowledge that could make
him an expert witness in court!!! I didn't know that..... See his
brief testimony below.....)
Cheerio.....
Roy Beavers (EMFguru)
roy@emfguru.com
.....It is better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness.....
NEW!!! Website
...................People are more important than profits.................
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 13:15:38 -0600
From: "Wayne D. Federer"
To: emfguru
Subject: Cell Tower on rural farm near St. Paul, MN
Dear Roy,
TGIF. And this week we have a very small victory to celebrate against a
cell tower proposal in Minnesota!! Following are two articles, several
days apart, about the showdown and the victory, respectively. (Of course,
this is only temporary - the attorney for American Tower said "we'll be
back" as he left the meeting hall.)
In this tower battle, there were slightly different players - a farm couple
wanting to fund their retirement, pitted against their neighbors and a
phone company. As usual I was shocked (but not surprised) by no mention at
all of any radiation-related health concerns in the initial article which
tipped me off about the proposal at hand in the City of Grant. Rather just
another case of aesthetics. SO I took matters into my own hands and
educated some people at the meeting where the vote was conducted. And I
have found a listening ear from the reporter, who has a background as a
former health reporter. I think she will learn from us.
I will write you again soon when I have time regarding the tools I have
employed (information) and what tools I think would be helpful to put
together (information packages) so that they are ready for anyone who
wishes to fight a tower. And press packets and legal packets, etc. I
found some good resources on the web but not as focused as they could be.
(I refrained from burdening anyone on this list with last-minute requests
for help.)
Notice below the "sound bites" (actually, from advance copies of my
testimony) that the reporter chose to use. (The following is a brief
excerpt from the 2nd article. I can also forward to those intertested my
entire comments which were given to the reporter and government officials.):
Wayne Federer traveled from New Richmond, Wis., for the council meeting,
to share concerns about the possible health effects of communications towers.
``American Tower has or will totally downplay any health concerns,''
said Federer, who has a doctorate in inorganic chemistry and has studied
the issue. ``HOWEVER, I PREDICT THAT, WITHIN 30 YEARS OR SOONER,
MICROWAVE RADIATION WILL BE RECOGNIZED AS A HEALTH HAZARD ON PAR WITH
CIGARETTE SMOKE.''
Federer told the council it might be able to reject the tower on the
grounds of diminished property values due to the perception of health risks.
``There is a large body of research emerging about biological and health
effects of nonthermal microwave radiation . . . that strikes fear in the
heart of most any impartial scientist,'' he said.
``American Tower would refute that contention,'' said Linsey Brown,
Midwest regional counsel for the Illinois- based
company. She said reputable studies dispute contentions that the emissions
are harmful.
------------------
St. Paul Pioneer Press
Published: Tuesday, November 30, 1999
The Towering Divide
Neighbors are protesting a Grant [rural Washington County township, 10-15
miles east of St. Paul, MN] couple's plan to rent a spot on their farm for
a phone tower. The farmers see the tower as retirement income and a way to
pass on the farm to their son.
Neighbors oppose phone tower in rural Grant
Couple say it's the only way they can save farm for son
AMY BECKER STAFF WRITER
Craig and Marcia DeWolf believe the best way to
preserve their family farm in Grant is to build a
communications tower behind their pole barn, a move
their neighbors say will destroy the area's rural
character.
American Tower of Illinois has asked the city for
approval to install the tower on the DeWolf farm.
More than 80 neighbors signed a petition opposing the
195-foot tower on grounds ranging from damaging the
area's rural character to undermining property values.
The DeWolfs say the tower will let them keep their
farm, which they hope to pass along to their son. They
intend to use monthly payments from American Tower
to create retirement investments instead of following
the more common tactic: selling their land for
development to finance their retirements.
Grant, just west of Stillwater and Stillwater
Township, covers about 27 square miles and has just
over 4,000 people. By 2020, its population could be
about 6,150, the Metropolitan Council estimates.
The DeWolfs own about 80 acres and rent another
620 acres, many of which are in Grant, for corn,
soybeans and hay. Their no-frills lifestyle makes a trip
to a restaurant rare, but they say they are happy with
the choices they've made. And if the tower isn't
approved for their property, they'll get by, Craig
DeWolf said.
But farming has been so depressed, many farmers
have spent down their savings. ``What do we have at
the end of farming?'' he asked. ``We're back down to
zero.''
Some neighbors calculate the couple's wealth based
on how much money they could make selling their 80
acres, he added. ``Some of the talk has been pretty
harsh.''
``I've had two neighbors just flippantly say, `Why
don't you sell five or 10 acres?' '' Marcia DeWolf
added. ``They don't know what it means to us. This is
grandpa's land. We don't want to sell.
``Keeping this whole thing open with one tower, in
our opinion, is more pleasant to the eye than having a
bunch of homes and roads.''
American Tower would lease an area 100 feet by 100
feet for its tower.
The DeWolfs feel their neighbors' disapproval
acutely.
``Boy we struggled over that,'' Craig DeWolf said.
``We just hope and pray that in time, things heal.''
They deliberated over American Tower's offer for a
couple of months. Marcia DeWolf talked to real-estate
agents and assessors, who told her the tower wouldn't
devalue local properties.
``Money wasn't the only decision,'' Craig DeWolf
said. ``We weighed the consequences.''
There's clearly a culture clash, he added. ``It's the
catch phrase of keeping it rural. Their rural is 10-acre
lots, and my rural is a good chunk of land that's open.''
Mayor Gary Erichson acknowledged as much. When
he moved to Grant 21 years ago, he built his home on
an oat field. ``In Grant, rural does not mean having
active family farms. The new ruralness in Grant is,
right now, essentially low-density residential
housing,'' Erichson said.
``Every one of us who has come out here has done
something to take that ruralness away. It's changed
because of all of us.''
Bob Katula agreed. ``The cornfields are turning into
subdivisions,'' he said. Still, he doesn't relish the
thought of seeing a tower from his window. ``We're
out in the country here, and it doesn't seem to suit the
area,'' he said.
People accept cattle wandering loose, combines
running at night and tractors crawling along the
shoulder of the road, Katula said. ``Nobody cares
about that. That's part of being in the country.
``This is a weird twist on that, where the farmer's
putting up the cell phone towers,'' Katula said. ``If
that's truly what they need to do to keep their farm, I
can see their point.''
The Grant City Council will address the matter Dec.
7. A dispute emerged at the last meeting, when an
American Tower attorney insisted the city had to
accept its proposal due to a technicality involving
deadlines and paperwork. Some people fear the city
will be forced to accept the proposal without
determining whether it fits the city's ordinances and
whether there are alternatives acceptable under the
federal Telecommunications Act.
The city's ordinances identify preferred areas for
towers, including commercial land. American Tower
has said it needs a tower near the DeWolf farm.
``There isn't a commercial zoned piece of land for
miles'' in that area, Erichson said.
Cellular dead zones are a common problem in
Washington County, said County Commissioner
Dennis Hegberg, and he said he'd like to see them
filled for safety reasons. He once came upon an
accident near the Withrow School involving a car and
a train. He had to climb onto the roof of his car to
coax a signal from his cell phone and alert police.
American Tower also approached Washington County
about constructing a tower on county-owned land half
a mile from the DeWolf farm. There is a 165-foot
tower on the site, which is in Stillwater Township.
The county didn't have time to open bids before the
Grant council addressed the DeWolf request, said Joe
Lux, lead engineering technician for the county. If the
DeWolf site is approved, Lux said, he didn't think
there would be a market for another tower on the
county property. If it's not, the county may proceed
with replacing its current tower.
Artist Kit Shoop, who lives across the road from the
DeWolfs, wants as few towers as possible.
Aesthetics, not property prices, guide her.
``I value the look of the land. I intend to die here. I just
care more about not having to live under the arms of
this tower.'' Still, she added that real-estate agents and
assessors have told the neighbors their property
values will drop if the DeWolfs' tower is approved.
Shoop has worked with a number of residents to talk
to council members about the impact of the tower,
attend meetings and generally make their opposition
known. She says it hasn't helped much.
``I've always heard that expression that you can't fight
City Hall, and I've always thought that if you have
enough people, you can do something,'' Shoop said.
``I've never felt so dispirited.''
``It's a hard issue,'' Erichson acknowledged. ``A lot of
citizens come into a meeting saying if enough pressure
is brought to bear, it will be denied. As a council
person or mayor, you get in a real bind trying to obey
the law and support your constituents. I'd love to vote
with them. I don't want it either.''
Amy Becker, who covers Washington County, can be reached at
abecker@pioneerpress.com or (651) 228-5465.
======================
and the sequel:
St. Paul Pioneer Press
Published: Thursday, December 9, 1999
GRANT
Farmer's bid to rent land for
cell-phone tower denied
Farmer's bid for communications tower
denied
Neighbors pleased with council
vote
Farmer's bid to rent land for telephone tower
denied
AMY BECKER STAFF WRITER
The Grant City Council had no problem with
reception Tuesday night as residents packed city hall
to oppose building a communications tower on nearby
farmland. Citizens spoke against the tower, and the
council denied the application.
American Tower of Illinois asked to install a tower
on Craig and Marcia DeWolf's farm. More than 80
neighbors signed a petition opposing the 195-foot
lattice-style tower.
The DeWolfs said the tower would let them keep their
farm, which they hope to pass along to their son. They
intended to use monthly payments from American
Tower to create retirement investments instead of
following the more common tactic: selling their land
for development to finance their retirements.
People at the meeting addressed a number of
concerns, ranging from a mix-up with the application
and whether the request fit with city rules to possible
health effects and whether a nearby site on
Washington County land would be more appropriate.
Two representatives from American Tower defended
the application.
``It's a service more and more people are coming to
rely on,'' said attorney Gary Van Cleve. He cited state
and federal laws in support of the company's request,
including the 1996 Telecommunications Act. ``We
also believe that, on the merits, this application should
be approved by the council.''
Attorney Paul Kaminski, representing some neighbors
of the DeWolfs, contended the request did not fit city
ordinances.
``Your comprehensive plan . . . is designed to protect
the rural nature of the city,'' he said.
Wayne Federer traveled from New Richmond, Wis.,
for the council meeting, to share concerns about the
possible health effects of communications towers.
``American Tower has or will totally downplay any
health concerns,'' said Federer, who has a doctorate in
inorganic chemistry and has studied the issue.
``However, I predict that, within 30 years or sooner,
microwave radiation will be recognized as a health
hazard on par with cigarette smoke.''
Federer told the council it might be able to reject the
tower on the grounds of diminished property values
due to the perception of health risks.
``There is a large body of research emerging about
biological and health effects of nonthermal microwave
radiation . . . that strikes fear in the heart of most any
impartial scientist,'' he said.
``American Tower would refute that contention,'' said
Linsey Brown, Midwest regional counsel for the
Illinois-based company. She said reputable studies
dispute contentions that the emissions are harmful.
Ron Vasko told the council he talks on his cell phone
for about 2,000 minutes a month. Vasko, who leases
land in St. Paul to American Tower, spoke in favor of
a DeWolf tower. ``Some of these people here, if they
were made the same offer, they'd probably take it,'' he
said.
Several audience members began retorts, only to be
silenced by the mayor.
American Tower also approached Washington County
about constructing a tower on county-owned land half
a mile from the DeWolf farm. There is a 165-foot
tower on the site, which is in Stillwater Township.
The county didn't have time to open bids before the
Grant council addressed the DeWolf request, said Joe
Lux, lead engineering technician for the county.
The county will consider replacing its current tower if
there is demand for a taller one on the site, Lux said
Wednesday. He planned to mail a letter to American
Tower and other interested tower operators this week
to gauge interest in the county site.
Tuesday's vote centered largely on technical issues.
Council Member Page Weed moved to deny the
permit. The DeWolf farm was not a preferred
location, the proposed lattice tower was not a
preferred structure and American Tower did not show
that no other site would work, she said. Weed,
Council Member Tim Gangnon and Mayor Gary
Erichson supported the motion. Council Member Art
Welander opposed it; member Pam Magadance
abstained.
``The county (site) seems like a very viable
alternative,'' Erichson said after the meeting. ``It's too
good to not investigate closely.''
About two-thirds of the residents left the hall after the
tower vote. The mood was upbeat.
``They clearly did not meet the ordinances and the
council did what was right,'' said DeWolf neighbor
Lowell Koenig. ``I hope this is the end of it.''
Valerie Nesse said she was elated with the decision.
Her concerns initially were about how the tower
would look, but health issues became more important
to her, she said.
The DeWolfs did not attend the meeting. Marcia
DeWolf said on Wednesday she was waiting to hear
whether American Tower would continue to pursue
their site. ``If it's definitely not going to go on our
property, it would sure be nice to know that, so this
doesn't drag on. We just want it to be done, either
way.''
Brown, the American Tower representative, said
Wednesday the company was considering all of its
options, including the possibility of the county site.
Koenig said he hopes the council's decision lays to
rest this issue, which has pitted neighbors against each
other. ``I want to still be a good neighbor to them.''
Amy Becker, who covers Washington County, can be reached at
abecker@pioneerpress.com or (651) 228-5465.
Wayne Federer of New Richmond, Wis., who has a
doctorate in inorganic chemistry and has studied the
issue, shared concerns about possible health effects of
communications towers. He predicted that microwave
radiation will someday be recognized as a health
hazard.
Archive provided courtesy of WaveGuide, http://www.wave-guide.org
Reprinted with permission of Roy Beavers, http://www.emfguru.com