Mar 9, 2021 City Council Mtg: Public Comment by Tucson-resident, Robin Motzer
“I speak for the Trees and Nature . . .”
I speak for the Trees and Nature. Nature has significant social effects: creates peace, unity, community, and something larger than ourselves.
Mother trees nurture their young, connect with other trees and seedlings, which allow four times greater success. Trees’ complex systems send information into the network and kin. Defense signals protect against stresses when injured and dying, and increase resilience for all.
Limbs above and roots below the soil act literally as antennas, sharing information-communications, cooperating with each other in relationships, while transporting carbon, water, and nutrition. Infinite biological pathways allow multiple trees to function as a single organism. Removal or death of one tree too many and the whole system collapses.
Manmade pulsed, data-modulated, Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Microwave Radiation (RF-EMR) is harmful to trees. Damage afflicted on trees by cell towers of any size and any “G” usually starts on one side, extending to the whole tree over time. One additional transmitter, an additional frequency or excessive output — beyond that needed for 5 bars telecommunications personal wireless service — can change the situation significantly for the worse.
Each antenna projects a known toxic pollutant which is a public safety hazard. For 5-bars’ telecommunications service and quiet enjoyment of our streets, all we need is -85 dBm for any single carrier-specific frequency band. If we set that as a local standard, we can preserve the health of our trees, instead of poisoning them 24/7.
We MUST safeguard the trees and plants, as they have a mutual protection effect for each other and provide shade and the ability to be outside on our increasingly hot days in Tucson. Trees protect us from heat, neutralize pollution and create oxygen for all of life.
Microwave radiation assaults on trees causes thinner cell walls, damaged leaves and excessive emissions of volatile compounds from the tree. Manmade microwave pollution constitutes an unnecessary stress to our trees which are critical for pollinator health and our ability to grow food.
With the 2nd largest bee population in Pima County, one of the largest biodiversity sites of flora and fauna in the world, the UNESCO Gastronomy site, and the Sonoran Desert, our area demands the highest standard of protection.
Our area is a national and international treasure, larger in scope than the protected area of the Lake Tahoe Basin where there is a law suit right now to stop the construction of additional cell towers and install fiber optic to all homes, instead. That makes wireless a trickle in Lake Tahoe, emitting primarily from home Wi-Fi routers. All BIG DATA is transported only in the most energy-efficient manner — via Fiber Optic cables.
Instead of radiation poisoning, let’s choose fiber optics which does not impact our valuable trees, plants and pollinators. Nature is part of the solution: Let’s choose to live in harmony with nature so that we may thrive and prosper.
Speaker Two
Hello, my name is _________, from Tucson. I am a real estate broker in Tucson and I attest and affirm that the following statements are true, accurate, and within my personal knowledge.
4G and 5G wireless deploys man-made, pulse-modulated microwave radiation in wavelengths ranging from 20 inches down to 0.1 inch, which are — all in addition to — to the existing 3G/4G microwave radiation, which has wavelengths from 17 inches down to 7 inches.
Microwave radiation in these wavelengths is hazardous because it is maximally absorbed by water in human, animal, insect and plants. This radiation is completely foreign to living systems. Such wavelengths are scientifically established to harm brains, hearts, eyes, ears and skin.
In addition, modern wireless beam-forming concentrates the radiation like an intense, laser-like, beam that is then absorbed into the body to cause all kinds of harm.
Contrary to the propaganda that fills mainstream media, microwave radiation does not bounce off one’s skin, it penetrates through one’s body. We know that whenever you press a flashlight into the palm of your hand — you can see light through the back of your hand. X-Rays also pass all the way through our bodies. In fact, the entire Electromagnetic Spectrum passes through our bodies — all day long.
That is why it so critically important to locally regulate how much power — is powering these so-called “small” Wireless Telecommunications Facilities sending this toxic pollution at us at the speed of light, nearly 7 million miles per hour.
What does the law tell us to do?The Federal 1996 Telecommunications Act, in section 324, says that for all radio, licensed from the FCC, the wireless companies must use the minimum power for the communication desired, which is personal wireless service — only the placing of wireless calls and texts.
The excessive effective radiated power from these over 300 sWTFs in Tucson is currently invading second- and third-story bedrooms. The power in bedrooms is 25-30 million times higher than that needed for 5-bars service for personal wireless service — the placing of wireless calls and texts.
This amount of power can make one sick in a matter of weeks, as it did for two little girls in Sacramento in Spring 2019, where the power was professionally metered over 36-hours. **25-30 million times higher than needed for excellent coverage ** is a disaster and wholly unnecessary.
This is only happening because our City staff is blindly rubber-stamping these sWTF permits without even understanding what antennas and radios are being installed and if they are even right-sized for residential neighborhoods. Folks over 300 sWTFs have install macro cell tower antennas on poles way too close to the ground and way too close to homes. Through local laws, **we have to turn the power down. ** That is the only solution for Tucson at this time.
The 24/7 deployment of this excessive radiated power on Tucson residents without their consent will result in certainty of harm. Local governments cannot lawfully shirk their duty to** deliver actual Public Safety**. We need a protective local ordinance in Tucson that limits sWTF power to -85 dBM, 5 bars service — and no higher.
I discussed no matters of mere “concern” but solely matters of substance, fact and law. I accept and appreciate your oath of Office, Council and Mayor Romero.
Speaker Three
My name is ________, I am a resident of Tucson.
I attest and affirm that the following statements are true, accurate and within my knowledge.
In Tucson, we are witnessing an unnecessary, unjustified and uncompensated “taking” of property from Tucson residents to enrich multi-billion-dollar Telecom companies, without sufficient due diligence or proper care executed by our City. This must cease immediately.
Esteemed City Council members, this densified 4G/5G deployment is a huge liability transfer from Big Red, Big Blue and Big Pink Wireless to local taxpayers — the last step in their long con.
The Wireless industry has manipulated our state and local governments into unwitting participation in a huge liability transfer scheme. Uncovering this scheme in 2017, Attorney Harry Lehmann, wrote a significant letter on July 19, 2017 to the CA legislature. That letter convinced then Gov. Jerry Brown to veto California’s Streamline Small Cell Deployment bill three months later. I have placed that letter into the City of Tucson’s public record.
The City claims to be insured; however, based on insurers’ exemptions, insufficient insurance exists for the coming claims for injury, illness or early death resulting from excessive radiated power from so-called “small” Wireless Telecommunications Facilities, which imprints digital data onto pulsed, data-modulated, Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Microwave Radiation (or RF-EMR, for short) carrier waves.
RF-EMR is listed as a toxic pollutant under the insurance policy exclusions in the General Liability Policies of Zurich, Sun, Hartford and CFC Underwriting for Lloyd’s of London, which state:
“We will not pay anything under this policy, for claims or expenses from Electromagnetic fields. Any liability directly or indirectly caused by, in connection with, or contributed to by or arising from electromagnetic fields or electromagnetic radiation.”
The City must resolve this problem immediately by insisting that Wireless applicants provide proper insurance that does not have such an RF-EMR pollution exclusion. This means the need for either third-party supplemental insurance without a pollution exclusion, listing the City as an additionally insured; or self-insurance directly from the multibillion-dollar corporations AT&T, T-Mobile/Sprint and Verizon.
The legal catch here is that currently, the City of Tucson is not doing business directly with AT&T, T-Mobile/Sprint or Verizon, but with their uninsured franchisees and/or agents. The firm named on the application is a shell company designed to go bankrupt when the first claim arrives. This leaves City taxpayers holding the bag.
Since you, esteemed City Council members are now positively informed, we will not leave ourselves holding the bag. The City could be bankrupted unless it ceases its current sWTF activities, does its due diligence, avoids bait-and-switch liability schemes and amends the City’s WTF ordinance to require full insurance with proof thereof to be submitted as part of the application process.
Due to your duties and obligations in both fiduciary and public safety matters, you must
- Act to prevent and not merely insure against harm,
- Revise the City’s WTF ordinance at once to establish that the parent wireless companies remain liable for their harms,
- Protect the long-term financial stability of the City of Tucson.
I have expressed no matter of mere concern but solely matters of substance, fact and law.