TSAWWASSEN
RESIDENTS AGAINST HIGHER VOLTAGE OVERHEAD LINES
February 23, 2005
Hundreds of
Residents Attend TRAHVOL Public Meeting
Tsawwassen Residents Against Higher Voltage Overhead Lines (“TRAHVOL”) held a public meeting Tuesday, February 22 featuring Milt Bowling, a well known Vancouver EMF expert and community activist. Close to 500 residents came to sign the petition and letters opposing BCTC’s plan to install new higher voltage overhead power lines through residential areas of Tsawwassen.
Citizens are growing increasingly concerned about the potential adverse health risks. Information provided by BCTC confirms that the EMF levels will be between 80-120mG with the installation of the proposed 230 kV lines. This is 30 times higher than the World Health Organization International Agency for Research on Cancer warning for childhood leukemia, which classified EMF as “possibly carcinogenic to humans based on a fairly consistent association between a doubling of risk of childhood leukemia and magnetic field exposure above 4 mG”.* The new high voltage lines will pass directly over the high school sports field, near two elementary schools, a pre-school and over 200 homes.
Milt Bowling shared his expertise on current scientific research including a major study done in the UK by Oxford University (Draper Report) that reported a doubling of childhood leukemia for children under 15 years of age living near high voltage transmission lines. This study examined 30 years of data and medical records of 35,000 children. Milt told residents that they should not be “scientific experiments” and that it is up to BCTC and the government to prove that these lines are safe, not up to residents to prove they are a health risk. The Vancouver School Board has just passed a resolution banning cell towers from school property, based on this principle.
Christina Lionello, a grade five student from
South Point Academy read a heart felt letter to the audience: “To increase the
power in the lines could hurt the health of many children in Tsawwassen,
especially children who live right by the power lines. Why don't the politicians and the power
company understand this?”
Cecil Dunn, Co-chair of TRAHVOL informed residents that a meeting took place this week with Michael Costello, President and CEO of BCTC to discuss community’s concerns and alternative route options. BCTC has committed to study alternate routes, but will not abandon the current right of way option, which will be taken to the British Columbia Utilities Commission early summer. TRAHVOL is pressing BCTC and the Government to take this option off the table completely and proceed with an alternate route that is not detrimental to residents. A letter has been sent from TRAHVOL to Val Roddick, who did not attend the meeting, to ask for her public support and assistance in resolving the issue.
TRAHVOL is urging the public to write letters, sign the petition and volunteer to help the Steering Committee in any way they can. TRAHVOL also encouraged residents to attend the Delta School Board meeting where they will be making a presentation March 1.
For more information, please contact: Maureen Broadfoot (604) 943-1656 or (604) 230-9800.
*EMF June 2002, a booklet distributed by BCTC.