5G PROTESTS IN

In February a group of South Carolina citizens—mobilized by signatures on petitions collected by Stop 5G groups in Spartanburg, Charleston, and Greenville— presented their case opposing the passage of House Bill 4262.

H4262 permits wireless companies to proceed with installation of 5G towers in all South Carolina cities and towns. This fifth-generation cellular network technology that will let our stoves talk to our refrigerators is quickly being rolled out in the Carolinas and other states, as well as in Europe and other countries.

The rapid deployment in the U.S. is due to The Telecommunication Act of 1996 signed by President Bill Clinton, and crafted with help from the wireless industry. It states that small cell towers may 5G Protests in South Carolina community spotlight

be installed with no input or authorization from local governments. Section 704 of the TCA actually states that no health or environmental concern can interfere with the placement of telecom equipment such as cell towers and antenna. Small cell towers are already in place in downtown Greenville, Asheville, Charlotte and other nearby cities.

Even at very low levels, a growing body of evidence shows that cell phone and wireless radiation—which emit signals much less powerful than 5G—could harm our health in a number of different ways. The World Health Organization (WHO) has listed cell phones as a Class 2 B Carcinogen “possibly carcinogenic to humans”. A multitude of peer-reviewed research studies on radiofrequency radiation have found a link to health conditions such as headaches, sperm damage, altered brain development, depression, neurological symptoms, hormone changes, memory problems, sleep problems and cancer. The wireless industry has admitted they have done no health studies measuring the effects of 5G wireless radiation. More than 240 scientists published

an appeal to the United Nations to reduce public exposure and have called for a moratorium on 5G citing “established” adverse biological effects of RF radiation.

There has been substantial pushback to 5G, from both concerned citizens and environmental and citizen advocacy groups. In January, the Environmental Health Trust, a non-profit organization that conducts cutting-edge research on environmental health hazards, filed a lawsuit against the Federal Communication Commission for refusing to update the U.S. radio frequency (RF) human exposure limits put in place 24 years ago. Robert Kennedy, Jr., Chairman of the Children’s Health Defense, filed a lawsuit in February of this year against the FCC for declining to review its guidelines and for its determination that the guidelines are protective of human health.

Protests by citizens in several U.S. cities and countries around the world have resulted in officials delaying or restricting the installation of small cell antenna for 5G in their communities.

A hearing on H262 was scheduled on March 17, but was cancelled. The hearing will be rescheduled but the date was not available at the time of this printing.

For more information on 5G health concerns go to EHTrust.com. For updates on H262 in SC, visit https://www.facebook.com/ groups/580150392539640/. To read the appeal to the U.N., visit emfcall.org/the-emf-call/.