Fears over phone mast health risks
Children could be the first to suffer any health risks which may be linked to the vast numbers of telecommunication masts being erected across Northern Ireland, it was claimed today.
The warning came as representatives from mobile phone giants assured Assembly members that payments to landowners of up to £20,000 were based on long-term leasing arrangements rather than single payments.
With mobile phone users in the province now past the one million mark, the Environment Committee heard arguments from both sides of the debate on possible health risks.
Representatives from Orange and Vodafone insisted that Government-initiated research published last year supported their view that people living close to masts were not under any greater danger.
However, Walter Graham, who represents six community groups opposed to the erection of masts, warned that mobile phones were too recent a development to be able to rule out long-term health hazards.
Mr Graham, an American living in Downpatrick, listed several examples from other countries which he claimed showed clusters of childhood leukaemia rates around the sites of pylons.
‘‘What we are going to see is children, like canaries in the mine, are going to be the foretellers of the problems,’’ he predicted.
He told the committee that the type of microwaves radiated by masts and mobile phones were a new development which he claimed could cause cataracts and brain damage.
Children are most at risk because they are smaller with a less-developed bodily frame, he added.
Calling for lower emission rates and non-habitation zones around the pylons, he said: ‘‘One million phone users is not worth one child with leukaemia.’’
But Federation of Electronic Industries spokesman Josh Berle insisted that with third generation services providing video, internet and high volume data due to come on-line next year, greater network covplanning permission needed to erect a larger tower.
Mr Berle argued that increased planning regulation would not help because it is not designed to allow for decisions on health issues and would delay network roll-out.
‘‘These delays could have quite a significant impact on Northern Ireland’s economic development and inward investment,’’ he said.
Both Committee chairman William McCrea (DUP, Mid Ulster) and Joan Carson (UUP, Fermanagh and South Tyrone) pressed the delegation on claims that landowners are receiving huge lump sum payments in return for allowing masts to be erected on their property.
However Orange spokesman Jonathan Rose insisted that figures of £20,000 would be made up of £2,000 annual payments for leasing land over a 10-year period.
‘The total may be £20,000 but it does not mean a one-off payment,’’ he said.
Northern Ireland Families Against Transmission Towers representative Alan Meyer said that most people accept the need for more masts - it was their locations which has caused most anger.
