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The National Electric and Magnetic Fields Advisory Committee Calls for Continued Research

This letter was posted to the emf-l mail reflector in mid december by Roy Beavers (EMF Guru), and addresses the future of EMF Bioeffects Research in the US.

Roy did such a great job introducing the letter from Shirley D. Linde, Chairperson of the NEMFAC, that I will let him introduce it here:

Hi everybody:

We regard this message as one of considerable importance to the future of the EMF research effort and we want everyone on the EMF-L net to be aware of what follows in order that you may lend your support to the continuation of EMF research funding. (We also think it VERY important that our non-U.S. members be aware of the propaganda effort that is being waged in the U.S. viz the EMF matter.)

We forward below a letter which has been sent to the appropriate agencies of the U.S. Government by Ms. Shirley Linde, Chairman of the National Advisory Committee (to the EMF RAPID research effort). Guru was present at the Advisory Committee meeting which first discussed a draft of this letter (in San Antonio on November 21st).

We hope many of you will read guru's comments about some of the same subject matter which will soon appear in the publication of the EMR Alliance, NETWORK NEWS. The following letter (and we presume ... guru's comments) which deals with the recent "EMF Report" by the National Academy of Science is important, in our view, because it speaks 'directly' to the issue we are convinced was the "objective" of the (one-sided) NAS Report, namely: to "kill" future EMF research funding having to do with the possible health effects of power lines.

We have also learned that Louis Slesin does a good job (as usual!) in dealing with the NAS Report in his forthcoming issue of MICROWAVE NEWS. Louis, by the way, is a member of the National Advisory Committee.

Cheerio........

Roy Beavers (EMFguru)
rbeavers@mail.llion.org
http://www.feb.se/EMF-L/EMF-L.html

National EMF Advisory Committee Calls for Continued Research on Electric and Magnetic Field Health Effects

                                      
        THE NATIONAL ELECTRIC AND MAGNETIC FIELDS ADVISORY COMMITTEE
                                      
  To The Secretary of Energy and The Secretary of Health & Human Services
                                      
      Shirley D. Linde, Chairperson
      2733 Manning Avenue
      Los Angeles, CA 90064
      Ph. (310) 837-3421
      FAX/Message (310) 836-4632
      
      
   December 9, 1996
   
   Ms. Christine A. Ervin
   Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency
   U.S. Department of Energy
   1000 Independence Avenue, S.W.
   Washington, D.C. 20585-0121
   
   Dear Assistant Secretary Ervin:
   
   The National Electric and Magnetic Fields Advisory Committee (NEMFAC),
   was established by Congress in the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to
   provide advice to the Secretary of Energy and to the Director of the
   National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences with respect to
   the Electric and Magnetic Fields Research and Public Information
   Dissemination Program (EMF RAPID), also established by that law. To
   that end, we are conveying to you our views on the recently released
   report, "Possible Health Effects of Exposure to Residential Electric
   and Magnetic Fields", from the National Academy of Sciences/National
   Research Council (NAS/NRC).
   
   We take this action because, after perusal of the pre-publication
   NAS/NRC report released October 31, 1996, we conclude that neither the
   press release nor the Executive Summary of the report adequately
   reflects the conclusions to be found in the body of the report.
   Furthermore, the report's release received widespread national press
   coverage, much of which was misleading and could adversely impact
   funding decisions for the EMF RAPID Program as well as other EMF
   research programs. Continued research with adequate funding is
   essential to resolve the uncertainties about EMF health effects.
   
   The NEMFAC wants to call to your attention the following important
   points:
     * Contrary to reports in the popular press. the NAS/NRC report does
       not state that extremely low magnetic fields are safe. Rather, the
       report concludes that there is an unexplained, but statistically
       reliable and robust association between power transmission and
       distribution systems and childhood cancer and that continued
       research is necessary.
     * The NAS/NRC report was commissioned before the results from the
       EMF RAPID program will be available. In addition, the report is
       limited to residential findings and reflects literature reviews
       only through 1994 plus 12 papers from 1995. It excluded the large
       body of work concerning occupational studies published throughout
       the same period.
     * The Energy Policy Act of 1992 requires a final report to Congress
       from the EMF RAPID program on whether the research indicates a
       health hazard. Plans are now in development for proceeding with
       this mandatory assessment. We recommend that the EMF RAPID
       program's report to Congress include the following elements to
       improve upon the work done thus by the NAS/NRC or other reviewing
       bodies.
          + The results of childhood cancer epidemiology studies to be
            completed in late 1997. These studies have quantitative
            evaluation of exposures and better controls than previous
            studies.
          + The results of occupational epidemiology and exposure
            assessment studies.
          + Several animal studies currently in progress.
          + The results of cell studies that have been duplicated in
            multiple laboratories.
          + Findings from the EMF RAPID program expected in 1999.
          + The results of several major breast cancer studies expected
            in 1998.
     * The U.S. Congress, the U.S. utility industry, and many foreign
       governments have, over the last few years, invested funds in
       research of health effects of extremely low frequency EMFs. Those
       steps have been taken in response to public concern as well as to
       the provocative results of early EMF research. Although this
       research is focused and well coordinated, the issues are complex
       and numerous questions have not yet been answered.
     * While the EMF RAPID program is entering its 5th year since
       enactment of the Energy Policy Act, research was not funded until
       late 1994. Because of this delay, the Program is just now reaching
       the full potential envisioned by Congress. The Department of
       Energy (DOE) and the National Institute of Environmental Health
       Sciences (NIEHS) have worked cooperatively to foster research
       programs which encompass basic biological research into possible
       mechanisms for cell effects, cancer development (including breast
       cancer), and the role of melatonin as affected by EMFs.
     * In summary, it will be a violation of public trust and a waste of
       scientific effort and money (federal and private) if the EMF RAPID
       program is not finished. We strongly urge that level federal
       funding continue until the Program is finished, the data analyzed,
       and the report to Congress completed. At that point, decisions
       about the future of federal EMF research could logically proceed.
       
   Lastly, I wish to bring to your attention an evaluation by the Harvard
   Center for Risk Analysis which stated in its March 1996 issue of Risk
   in Perspective: "Few of the elevated risks seen in those studies
   (childhood leukemia and EMF) are above 3 and many lie in the 1.5-2
   range. Relative risks in this range are considerably lower than those
   seen in studies of known human carcinogens such as cigarettes. It
   should be noted, however, that there are other well accepted
   associations, such as the association between smoking and heart
   disease, that fall in this range, Furthermore, a relative risk of 2 (a
   doubling of the risk of childhood cancer) coupled with the widespread
   exposure to EMFs, could have a potentially significant impact on the
   population."
   
   I share this view that any potential EMF health risks could have
   significant public health implications. Therefore, EMF research is an
   important public policy concern, and I will be happy to address any
   questions that you may have about this matter or discuss the EMF RAPID
   program with you.
   
   Sincerely yours,
   (Signature, Shirley D. Linde)
   Shirley D. Linde Chairperson, NEMFAC
   

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