BREAKING: Amidst heavy parent protests regarding the cell towers placed at numerous Michigan public schools, the Detroit City Council is now considering a resolution put forward by Detroit City Council Member At-Large Mary Waters urging the Health Department to study the issue of cell tower health effects in order, according to Waters, “to assess whether Detroit children have been or are endangered by the location of cell phone towers on school property.”
Press Advisory For Immediate Release by Detroit Councilwoman Waters.
Detroit Councilwoman Waters asking Detroit Health Department study health impact of cell phone towers on school children
Detroit Councilwoman Waters asking Detroit Health Department study health impact of cell phone towers on school children
(Detroit, MI 5/9/2023) – Detroit City Council Member At-Large Mary Waters has introduced a resolution for council review that requests the Detroit Health Department assess the impact of cell phone towers located at schools attended by Detroit children.
“One of the primary responsibilities of this Detroit City Council is to protect the health, safety and welfare of all citizens of Detroit including foremost our children. We must never place petty cash over the health including long term health of our children,” said Waters.
“The Detroit Health Department was instrumental in determining the cause and taking life saving measures in the aftermath of the tragic death of a school child after a flu-like disease struck. We now need that same Health Department to assess whether Detroit children have been or are endangered by the location of cell phone towers on school property,” said Waters noting it would be disingenuous to ask the school system that receives payment for the towers to conduct a health review.
City of Detroit Detroit City Council
FROM THE DESK OF
Mary Waters, Member At-Large
2 Woodward Avenue, Suite 1340 Detroit, MI
RESOLUTION ON CELL PHONE TOWERS INFORMATION
WHEREAS, the increased usage of mobile phones has driven a rapid increase in the proliferation of cellular networks throughout Detroit and the nation; and
WHEREAS, this growth has led to network operators placing more, newer, and higher-powered cellular antennae and transmitters, which emit greater amounts of electromagnetic radiation than previous models; and
WHEREAS, some of these antennae are located at Detroit Public Schools Community District buildings, including the Paul Roberson Malcolm X Academy; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has the imperative to protect the health and safety of our residents, especially those who are most at risk from public health concerns – our community’s children; therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Detroit City Council requests that the Detroit Health Department study the number of Detroit children who have been and are currently in regular close proximity to mobile phone towers in the City of Detroit; and be it
FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Detroit Health Department provide the results of this study and the potential impacts on the health of Detroit children within ninety (90) days of the adoption of this resolution.
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“The science is enough to trigger new policy that reduces cell tower radiation exposure to children,” stated Theodora Scarato, Executive Director of Environmental Health Trust who sent a letter to the Detroit School Board regarding risks to children’s health. Scarato pointed to the federal court ruling in EHT et. al. v. the FCC and how the FCC has not responded to the 2021 Court order to show how its limits were protective in regards to long term exposure. “The federal government has failed to protect children as FCC human exposure limits are from 1996 and they do not protect against long term effects, nor do they consider children’s unique vulnerability.”
The Detroit Public School Superintendent stated that there are 29 cell towers on Detroit public school properties. “The majority are on buildings where staff and children are at” he stated in the April School Board Meeting where numerous community members testified about the cell towers.
