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Fear Mongering and Grandstanding on EMF
by Dale Tyler
The Viejo System Project expansion in north Mission Viejo has been the subject of controversy since it was first proposed. Although a number of Mission Viejo residents were and still are opposed to the project, it became a platform for the politically minded to attempt to capitalize on the fear those politicians created in the minds of the public.
In 2003, Southern California Edison (SCE) proposed adding new 66kv circuits from the existing Chiquita substation to a new substation located on the SCE right of way near the 241 toll road. The existing 220kv lines would also be relocated to connect to the new substation. This was apparently needed because the existing substation was becoming overloaded, and more distribution infrastructure was needed to serve the growing needs of Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita and other communities. It should be noted that the existing 220kv lines have been in place since long before the houses were constructed nearby. An easement to build those lines was granted in 1965. Every person who bought a house in that area could see the existing power lines and the wide area where they ran. Any person who was interested could have looked at the easement agreement held by SCE and found that it could add lines at any time, subject to CPUC approval.
In 1997, the city of Mission Viejo asked SCE for permission to build a park in the right of way under the power lines. The park was eventually approved and built. It is now called Florence Joiner Park, in celebration of a local Olympic athlete. When the park was built, Mission Viejo was aware of the concern surrounding EMF and had to promise to hold SCE harmless for any problems that would arise by the construction and use of the park.
Community groups raised a number of objections to the Viejo System Project expansion, forming a group called No Overhead Powerlines by Edison (N.O.P.E.). This group spoke against the approval of the project in front of the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) during 2003 and 2004 in an attempt to get the new lines buried, but the project was approved over their objections. Finally, a special election was held to see if the surrounding homeowners would be willing to tax themselves to pay the additional cost to have the lines undergrounded, but that lost 17 percent in favor of new taxes to 83 percent opposed. This group was used by City Council candidate Frank Ury in an attempt to convince voters of his business experience, but he eventually was responsible for the failure in front of the CPUC, and then failed to file a timely appeal, and then failed to protest the rejection of the appeal. It was clear to many that Ury was only involved with N.O.P.E. to make himself look good, and he abandoned the group when things when wrong.
There have been two main concerns expressed by citizens about the Viejo Systems Project expansion. First, there was the issue of aesthetics. Clearly, power transmission lines are unattractive. The new lines were right next to existing “erector set” towers, and while the new “H” frame towers were smaller, they did represent additional visual blight. However, no one should have been confused about the existence of power lines in that area, and, thus, when an election was held to ask property owners to pay for the burial of the new lines, it lost by an overwhelming margin. My interpretation of this is that while people would like no power poles, after awhile one gets used to them and they recede into the background, hardly noticed. Of course, those living in houses directly east of the right of way see them all the time and are more impacted. They bought those houses with a direct view of the existing lines and, therefore, have little right to claim surprise when more are added.
The other concern is with EMF. This is somewhat more controversial because almost no peer-reviewed studies have shown any linkage of EMF levels as would likely be found in the nearby homes to any disease process with one possible exception. There have been a few studies that show a possible link between a two-times elevated risk for childhood leukemia and EMF levels that are probably much higher than what is found in these homes. In fact, the current suggested limit on power line EMF exposure is 200-500 times higher than what is found at the edge of SCE's right of way. Even if EMF is a problem for some susceptible people, no one forced anyone to buy a house near a power line, and one can freely decide to relocate if the perceived risk is too great. Further, complaining about the loss in values associated with having a house near a power line, freeway or noisy street is a risk of buying real estate. Unless one had no way of being aware of the value risk to a real estate investment, one cannot now complain when the risk turns out to be real. I have heard the possible EMF risks compared to the risk from smoking cigarettes, with people saying, “We did not know the real risk in the ’50s, so we smoked, and now we have cancer. Maybe EMFs are worse than we now think.” This might be true, but just as with smoking, each person can decide how much risk to accept and to take precautions as they deem prudent. So, if you are concerned about EMF, don't go to Florence Joiner Park on hot days when the EMF fields will be highest (due to high power flow in the overhead lines). If you are even more concerned, don't go to that park at all. If you are very concerned, sell your house overlooking the power lines. Just don't blame others if your choices turn out to be wrong.
EMFs don't just come from power lines. They are generated by common items most of us have in our house. Compare the values shown below to the 1-5 mG seen at the edge of SCE's right of way and remember, these values are in your own home. Also remember that large motors like pool pumps and electric heating pads/blankets have very high EMF emissions.
From: www.wapa.gov/newsroom/pdf/EMFbook.pdf
Typical 60 Hz magnetic field levels
from some common home appliances
Magnetic field 6 Inches Magnetic field
from appliance (mG) 2 feet away (mG)
Electric shaver 100 -
Vacuum cleaner 300 10
Electric oven 9 -
Dishwasher 20 4
Microwave oven 200 10
Hair dryer 300 -
Computers 14 2
Fluorescent lights 40 2
Faxogram machines 6 -
Copy machines 90 7
Garbage disposals 80 2
Also, from www.bioinitiative.org/report/docs/section_20.pdf
The median field was identified as 0.5 mG, and the average field was 0.9 mG. Thus, this confirms that average residential magnetic fields based on the 1000-home study is less than 1 mG.
Appliances produce magnetic fields, but these diminish rapidly with distance (at 1/R3).
Power lines generally produce the largest average residential magnetic field when the entire living space of a residence and a 24-hour period are considered. Power line magnetic field exceeds 1 mG in 17 percent, exceeds 2.5 mG in 9.5 percent and exceeds 5 mG in 0.3 percent of all the residences surveyed.
Zaffanella (1998) conducted measurements to characterize typical EMF exposure levels in persons living in the United States - a study called the 1000-Person Study. Table A- S.2 shows that about half of all people in the U.S. have EMF exposures at home under 0.75 mG; in bed are 0.48 mG; at school 0.60 mG; at work 0.99 mG; and 0.87 mG is the median EMF exposure for an average 24-hour day.
If you are concerned about EMF fields in your house, the first step is to measure what is actually present. Try to schedule the measurements on a very hot day during summer and again in the middle of winter on a cold day so that you can see the range of measurements in and around your house. Use this to calculate your average exposure, and then make your own decision as to risk. Try to hire a consultant who will simply make the measurements and not offer any EMF reduction services. Pick someone who is not biased and has no agenda either for or against EMF exposure. Do not do what our city did when they hired Sage Associates, a leading proponent of EMF risk.
One problem with the Viejo System Project is that no actual measurements of EMF strength were taken prior to the project being started. Because of this, we have no objective way to be certain if the project increased or decreased EMF strength. SCE has computer models that show the values prior to the project and then more computer models that show a reduction of 50 percent to 80 percent after the project, based on the self-cancellation of EMFs caused by power lines of different phases being arranged in a way to best reduce EMFs. A study by Sage did not address those models, but merely measured the “after” levels and made some claims based on those measurements. FMS then made more measurements and went the extra step of modeling existing conditions and comparing that computer model to the actual measured numbers. FMS concluded that the model matches reality and that SCE did appear to meet the EMF reductions it promised. These models and measurements are subject to a fairly wide tolerance and, thus, precise measurements to .1mG are not really meaningful. The bottom line is that, lacking objective proof, there is no basis for the claim the EMF levels from the SCE lines exceed what should have been expected.
One of the saddest things I have witnessed is the use of a dead child's memory by a candidate for City Council at the Feb. 18, 2008, meeting. When I arrived, this politician was speaking to the council saying that this child lay dying of leukemia caused by the new power lines while the Mission Viejo City Council did nothing. This politician had no proof that the child was exposed to high levels of EMF, nor any proof that this tragic death was caused by any additional EMF radiated by those new lines, or that any EMF was the cause at all. The politician was simply trying to create fear among parents in the audience with no factual basis at all for her claims. Of course, some will be so frightened that they will believe she is doing a great thing. As the new leader of N.O.P.E., the organization that failed to stop the project under Frank Ury's tenure, she will do her level best to fool the public, just like he did.
Finally, Frank Ury, who after failing to stop the CPUC and failing to convince property owners to tax themselves to improve their view, is now grandstanding just in time for the November 2008 election. He is promising to make the CPUC revisit its decision and to have the lines buried. He is now planning to “be influential” and “do something” about the power lines. All he will really do is spend more taxpayer dollars on a fruitless campaign to make himself look good. J.P. Ledesma, another council member, made it clear to those attending the meeting when he observed that the City of Mission Viejo has no jurisdiction whatever over SCE or the power lines and that a final decision was already made. We have no basis, in fact, to dispute that CPUC decision. Also, Ledesma pointed out that the power line that was caused to be buried by the CPUC on the same day that they rejected burying the SCE lines, was a new line in a new right of way with no existing lines. Perhaps the CPUC took note of the existing 220kv lines, reasoning there is little reason to bury lines right next to 220kv towers and that the new lines could be used to reduce EMFs on the existing lines due to phase cancellation. That decision sounded right to me then, and it still rings true today. Frank Ury just wants to spend your money to look good until the election, after which he will say “we lost, sorry.”
The action on the Viejo Systems Project is all about Grandstanding and Fear Mongering – nothing else.
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