Sprint and Milestone Communications plans to erect a 99' cell tower on Annapolis Middle School property, on the site of the old tennis courts, which could host up to three additional carriers. Parents and area residents  are strongly opposed to installing a cell phone tower in this location.

Potential health risks to children, teachers, other adults and pets – Cell phone towers emit radio frequencies (RF), a form of electromagnetic radiation (EMR), for a distance of up to 2.5 miles. Studies have shown that even at low levels of this radiation, there is evidence of damage to cell tissue and DNA, and it has been linked to brain tumors, cancer, suppressed immune function, depression, miscarriage, Alzheimer’s disease, and numerous other serious illnesses (1). Children are at a much greater risk, due to their thinner skulls, and rapid rate of growth. In 2011, The World Health Organization (WHO)/International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified EMR as a possible carcinogen to humans (the same classification as DDT and lead) based on an increased risk for glioma (a malignant type of brain cancer). In the past five years alone, about 1,800 new scientific papers have been published that show adverse health effects. (2) Dr. George Carlo, a public health expert who coordinated the telecommunications industry’s own study, which was mandated by  congress, confirms that exposure to communications radiation from wireless technology is "potentially the biggest health insult" this nation has ever seen. Dr. Carlo believes RF/microwave radiation is a greater threat than cigarette smoking and asbestos.

Lawmakers in countries across our globe are responding to the emerging science on the dangers and risks associated with this type of radiation and developing new safety rules. However, the United States is largely ignoring the warning from the W.H.O.  The cell phone industry may argue that there is no definitive evidence that these towers are harmful, but WE argue that there is no clear evidence that these towers are safe. Do we really want our children to be part of this risky experiment? The school and many residences are within what is considered by many experts to be a “high risk” danger zone of 1500’ where there have been reports of a 300-400% increase in risk of cancers. (3)

Danger to kids and parents who use the athletic fields - Cell phone towers catch fire, drop ice, and are known to collapse. (Google “cell tower fires”). There is no adequate “fall zone” for this proposed tower. Parents line up to pick up their kids under where the tower will be sited and children play sports within the “fall zone”. There should be at least 100’ free and clear in all directions. There is not.

Negative impact on home values and visual appeal – The proposed tower will be about as tall as a TEN story building! Even though the tower will be “disguised” as a tree, it will extend more than 30 feet above any other tree in that area. This would be visually unappealing and would likely have a negative impact on the resale value of the homes near the school.The Appraisal Institute, the largest global professional membership organization for appraisers with 91 chapters throughout the world, spotlighted the issue of cell towers and the fair market value of a home and educated its members that a cell tower should, in fact, cause a decrease in home value.(4)

Cell towers are needed but we do not want one at our school. We must tell Sprint, the Anne Arundel County School Board (contact board members) and our state representatives (Senator John C. Astleand State Delegates Michael E. Busch​, Herbert H. McMillan, and Ronald A. George) and county representatives (Councilman Chris Trumbauer and County Executive Laura Neuman) that we do NOT want a cell phone tower at our school!

ALSO - VOICE YOUR OPINION at:

1.) The Board of Education meeting on March 19th at 7pm at 2644 Riva Road. 

2.) Community Meeting being held by Milestones Communications (the builder of the tower) on April 1st at 7pm at St Martin’s Lutheran Church, 1120 Spa Rd.

3.) The Board of Education meeting on April 2nd at 10am at 2644 Riva Road. They will hear the project at this meeting!. 

1 Microwave and Radio Frequency Radiation Exposure, San Francisco Medicine , Vol. 74, No 3, March 2001

2 For more on these peer-reviewed studies, please go to the BioInitiative Report 2012 (www.bioinitiative.org), a report written by 29 independent scientists and health experts from around the world on possible health risks from wireless technologies and electromagnetic fields. 

3 Authors: Ronni Wolf MD, Danny Wolf MD. Transmission Mast on the Incidence of Cancer, 2004 German Study.

4 www.appraisalinstitute.org

For links to more studies see: http://www.aacoacts.org/health-safety/