State Efforts
Massachusetts schools and towns are looking for leadership from higher authorities, so we actively educate our state-level public servants while working at the local level too. Most have only heard the economic and convenience benefits promoted by the wireless industry, and very few understand there are serious risks. By providing fact-based information and constituent support we are empowering our public servants to transition our communities to safe technology. Please join us to grow these efforts, we'll show you how.
MASSACHUSETTS MEDICAL SOCIETY
We are very grateful to environmental medicine expert Dr. Lisa Nagy of Martha’s Vineyard for prioritizing the health risks of electromagnetic fields (EMFs)
with the Massachusetts Medical Society.
Dr. Nagy introduced the Resolution: Wireless Communications Public Safety Standards Reevaluation. Following testimony by Dr. Cindy Russell, who helped California pass the first EMF Resolution in 2014, and Dr. David Carpenter, advisor
to the World Health Organization, in December 2021 the MMS
adopted the policy statement:
That the Massachusetts Medical Society supports continuing research, including quality epidemiologic studies, by appropriate agencies and entities to produce evidence-based data on the effect(s) of radio frequency radiation on human health. If indicated, study findings should be used to revise and update public health standards for safe limits of human exposure to radio frequency radiation.
See also the 1997 Boston Physicians’ and Scientists’ Petition To Avert Public Exposures to Microwaves
LEGISLATION
In 2013, the cities of Boston and Philadelphia filed a submission to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) (Dockets #13-84 and #03-137) that accused the FCC and federal health agencies of negligence for failing to investigate whether electrosensitive persons are harmed by wireless radiation.
In 2015, a panel of world-leading experts presented wireless risks to the Massachusetts legislature, asking for right-to-know legislation.
Massachusetts has lead the nation for several years with bills to address the health, environmental and economic impact of today’s wireless technology.
Click here to see the MA EMF Bills.
Click here to see a sampling of spoken testimonies received by the legislature. There is a long record of written testimonies at the State House too.
The Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure advanced Senator Cyr’s commission bill in November 2021. See the
summary sent in April 2022 by Cece Doucette to Senator Michael
J. Rodrigues, Chair, Senate Committee on Ways and Means
with the top ten urgent reasons to protect the public
and environment from wireless radiation.
In the meantime, Boston has allowed more than 1,500 toxic small cells
and thousands of macro (big) cell antennas to be installed.
See locations of small cells here, and a map here.
Industry is expanding into neighborhoods all over the state, except in
communities that listen to their residents and proactively
implement protective zoning code.
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Other states are also filing legislation.
New Hampshire already passed a bill into law to investigate and
issued a groundbreaking report documenting the conflicts of interest
with industry and federal agencies. NH recommends 15 actions
to inform and protect our communities.
Click here to see Bills in Other States.
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In 2020, the City of Boston filed a submission to the FCC’s 19-226 docket stating, “Boston believes that the concerns of the public are real and that the Commission has done a disservice to itself, local government, consumers, and even the wireless industry in failing to understand and respond to the broadly shared mistrust of the safety of RF emissions.” See the full submission here.
The City of Boston in August 2020 filed a lawsuit against the FCC for usurping local control, and it was combined with similar cases around the country, including the U.S. Conference of Mayors. See the lawsuit here. Unfortunately, the courts sided with industry.
DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY & SECONDARY EDUCATION
In 2014, resident Cece Doucette informed Ashland Public Schools, MA of the risks to children. When they read the fine print that comes with wireless devices, Ashland became the first in the nation to adopt Best Practices for Mobile Devices.
They are waiting for higher authorities to advise them to actually turn off the radiation transmissions though. The children and staff remain in a high radiation environment.
Parents reached out to higher authorities at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) informing them of the harmful health effects of today’s wireless technology, especially to children. See brief video presentations here.
Parents also invited the DESE Board to an expert panel presentation by leading scientists, doctors and an industry expert, “Questioning the Safety of Our Children’s Exposure to Wireless Radiation in Schools”. DESE members did not attend so they were provided with the event videos afterwards.
DESE Board members and the Massachusetts Association of School Committees were also invited to the TechSafe Schools’ legal, health, and remediation webinars.
The DESE Board has taken no leadership action to protect Massachusetts children, indicating they are waiting for higher authorities to advise them what to do.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Education is pushing cell towers
in neighborhoods, on schools and on school buses.
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF
HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
When the panel of world experts came to the State House in 2015, they also met with the MA Department of Public Health (DPH).
In 2016, Cece Doucette helped the DPH write EMF public health fact sheets. She was told would they would be released in three months. They were never released. When the Boston Globe investigated in 2019, they were told EMF public health guidance would be out within six months.
Instead, within weeks of the Boston Globe article’s publication, the DPH added an EMF page to the state’s Radiation Control website. It denies direct harm from EMFs, even after the DPH had received the $30M U.S. National Toxicology Program report concluding “clear evidence” radio-frequency causes
cancerous tumors and DNA damage.
Jana Ferguson at the DPH indicated citizens were misinformed and there was no other EMF public health fact sheet forthcoming.
Cece then requested a meeting with Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Mary Lou Sudders, who oversaw the DPH. Secretary Sudders arranged for a meeting with Cece, Undersecretary Lauren Peters and Legislative Director Rob Laughlin. Also in attendance were the Joint Committee on Public Health’s Research Analyst Tane Webb, Senator Spilka’s District Direct Puja Meta, DESE’s Matt Deninger and citizens from across the Commonwealth.
Cece walked them through the EMF science, risks, legislation and safe technology solutions. Some of them had noticed Verizon’s 5G small cell antennas going up at the curb outside their office in Boston’s McCormack Building.
Cece followed up with a one-page HHS summary document which others are welcome to use as a high-level overview of the wireless issues.
HHS and DPH have still taken no measures to protect public health
over corporate interests.
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The Massachusetts Association for Boards of Health now includes cell tower risks in the last four pages of the Legal Handbook and Public Health Guidebook for Massachusetts Boards of Health.
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In 2020 a Verizon cell tower made 17 Pittsfield, MA children and adults ill with microwave sickness. They turned to the MA DPH for help, and the DPH abandoned them. After two years of citizens, doctors, scientists, engineers and legislators educating Pittsfield public servants on the biological effects of wireless radiation, in April 2022 the Pittsfield Board of Health became the first in the nation to issue an Emergency Order of discontinuance and abatement to Verizon to turn off the cell tower. Verizon went to the courts for an injunction, and Mayor Tyer and Solicitor Pagnotta refused to give their own Board of Health the funding to take this to court to bring these families safely home. The citizens have had to sue. The Massachusetts Association of Health Boards has filed an amicus brief in the civil suit against Pittsfield in support of the injured citizens.
See the Events and News pages for extensive public forums and media
coverage that can be used to educate your own community.
ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE &
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC UTILITIES
Harvard’s free on-line report “Captured Agency: How the Federal Communications Commission is Dominated by the Industries it Presumably Regulates” likens the wireless industry tactics to the tobacco industry playbook.
The latter was finally held accountable when Attorney Generals from multiple states banded together and sued the tobacco industry for harm.
Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healy and her staff have been briefed on the wireless radiation issue.
Assistant Attorneys General Alexander Early and Shannon Beale attended the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities 2018 hearing on National Grid’s Smart Grid Pilot Program. They heard citizens’ sworn statements on the biological harm from utility “smart” meters and the fraudulent activity in the pilot program. They received binders of information to substantiate the testimony.
In 2020, the DPU opened Docket #20-69, Investigation by the Department of Public Utilities on its own Motion into the Modernization of the Electric Grid - Phase II. Many written testimonies were sent in by legislators, doctors, scientists and citizens asking for safe utility meters. Technical sessions were held and citizens, including Dr. Lisa Nagy, spoke out.
See hearing videos here.
The Attorney General’s Office and the Department of Public Utilities have taken no action to protect public health over corporate interests.
Please Support Our Work
Contributions are greatly appreciated to help continue our work.
We are honored to partner with our fiscal agent, the long-established
501(c)(3) non-profit Scientific Alliance for Education (SAFE).
Click here to donate via PayPal, and specify your contribution
is for MA for Safe Technology.
Or:
Send tax-deductible checks payable to SAFE.
Note MA for Safe Technology in the Memo line.
Send to: 561 Shunpike Road, Sheffield, MA 01257
Please contact MA4SafeTech@gmail.com with any questions —
and thank you so much for your support!