EMF Questions Answered
by Dale Tyler

Over the past week or two, there has been a lot of discussion on the Electro Magnetic Field (EMF) issue. Although there are transmission lines in other parts of the city, the Southern California Edison (SCE) right-of-way along Olympiad and other streets, also known as the Viejo Systems Project, is the focus of the current concern. One might ask, “Why now?” and “What is the truth about EMF from the new line?”

Some background might help to improve the understanding of this issue. In 2004 and 2005, SCE added one additional 66kV circuit to two existing 220kV circuits and two 66kV circuits in the same right-of-way. Part of the agreement SCE made with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) was to reduce the level of EMFs at the edge of SCE's property by changing the physical arrangement of the circuits on the poles that carry the circuits. SCE replaced 19 Tubular Steel Poles (TSP) with 13 larger H-frame structures to carry the two existing 66kV lines and the new 66kV line, plus space for one more for future expansion. Because the H-frames are physically different from the old TSPs, SCE believed that they could reduce EMFs from the overall collection of wires to significantly less than the EMF level prior to 2004. Unfortunately, there were no accurate measurements recorded for the EMF levels at the edge of the right-of-way prior to 2004.

In order to use measurements for comparison with the conditions that exist now, measurements must be carefully controlled. EMFs vary widely in different locations, depending on distance from the wires, amount of electricity being carried in the wires, and position the EMF measuring device is held in with respect to the wires and ground. One citizen provided a total of eight measurements to the City of Mission Viejo at the July 3, 2006, City Council meeting. These measurements were taken in 7/2005 and 6/2006 at similar times of day and at similar ambient temperature (which might mean the amount of electricity being carried was similar). Unfortunately, the measurements were taken directly under the towers, which bears no relation to the EMF at the edge of the right-of-way. The 2006 measurements were from 18 percent to 51 percent higher than the reading taken in 2005 before the new lines were installed. This brings into question SCE's promise to reduce EMFs.

However, models constructed by FMS, backed up by careful field measurements, seem to show the levels of EMFs at the edge of the right-of-way have been reduced by up to 75 percent, so the measurements under the poles seem to not be representative of the much more important edge of right-of-way EMF values. Sage claims that the EMF levels are higher now than before the project, but offers no models or other mechanism to support their assumption. Sage may be simply counting the wires (12 before vs. 15 after) and assuming that is the way to measure EMF changes. However, the arrangement of the wires on the poles is critical to reducing EMFs by canceling one wire's EMF field with another out-of-phase wire. It may even be true that just burying the one new 66kV circuit (three wires) as demanded by No Overhead Powerlines by Edison (N.O.P.E.) might actually increase EMFs at ground level above the trench and do nothing to reduce the EMF output of the preexisting wires.

Although N.O.P.E. was led in 2004 by Frank Ury, who claims to be an engineer, it is clear that he missed his classes on magnetic field analysis. The use of cross-phase cancellation is a widely used technique for reducing EMFs. In fact, it was recently discovered that SCE incorrectly phased the circuits on the poles, and when they changed the phasing to that specified in the project plans, EMFs dropped dramatically.

So why is this issue coming back to haunt us now? The simple answer is the November 2008 City Council elections. Although the City of Mission Viejo has no authority whatsoever to regulate SCE and must defer to the CPUC for all decisions about electrical power lines, two prospective candidates for the City Council have started to make noise on this issue.

One candidate is Frank Ury, who failed to stop the power line project in 2004 by hiring one of his friends as the N.O.P.E. representative in front of the CPUC. This attorney ended up missing filing deadlines and was unable to muster the necessary arguments to force the lines to be buried. To be fair, the CPUC must have looked at the existing 12 lines and wondered why burying 3 lines would be a good use of money. N.O.P.E. probably wanted all of the lines buried, but it is hard to see why the CPUC would approve burying already existing lines, something they had not previously done.

Then we have Diane Greenwood, who is now the purported head of N.O.P.E. She wants to use the fear of EMFs to her advantage. Never mind that neither she nor N.O.P.E. has done anything for nearly two years. Now is time for action, according to her. The action she wants is your vote and nothing else will really happen.

Why is it unlikely that Diane and N.O.P.E. will have any effect on the CPUC? It is because there is no sound evidence of any increase in EMFs from the project and some good evidence of decreases. Thus, the conditions that SCE received approval for have been met, and there is no basis in law or equity for making SCE and all of its ratepayers spend millions of dollars to appease a few super-concerned homeowners. Since there is almost no change for the CPUC to act on, this effort will simply result in spending up to $500K in legal fees to Bill Curley's firm to make a case to the CPUC. Diane and Frank hope that this “effort to be influential” will result in more votes for their campaigns, despite wasting taxpayer dollars.

Don't be fooled by the scare tactics of Greenwood and Ury. If you are concerned about EMFs, there is a lot you can do to reduce your own exposures. First, have proper and accurate measurements taken within and around your home. Remember that EMFs vary quite a bit, up to 500 percent with different levels of electrical usage, so multiple measurements at different times should be made. An average value over a week or two in the spring or fall would probably be best. Next, identify where highest levels of EMFs are coming from and take steps to shield those sources. Some shielding is very inexpensive and quite effective. If you find that the levels are still too high for your personal comfort, then you need to consider moving to a location further away from whatever source is causing your concern. Considering that the average level in houses is considered to be less than 1 mG for the United States as a whole, I would bet that most houses in Mission Viejo, even those somewhat close to the power lines, are near 1 mG as well. Since there is no scientifically settled “safe maximum value” for EMFs, you will have to depend on your own level of comfort.

Get the facts about your house from an unbiased reading – then decide for yourself. Do not be scared by others' beliefs.