By RYAN BRINKS, TIMES-REPUBLICAN POSTED: December 6, 2007 Save | Print | Email | Read
  

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 A new cell tower for U.S. Cellular was approved to be built right behind the electric pole in this photo, on the backside of the Meadow Lane Mall and at a diagonal from the Marshalltown High School.

A plan for a new tower for U.S. Cellular directly diagonal to the Marshalltown High School met all city requirements and was approved to be built Tuesday by the Board of Adjustment despite concerns about the effects of radiation on students.

Referencing findings from a new research study by the BioInitiative Working Group, resident Todd Stabenow said current government restrictions on electromagnetic radiation and radio frequencies from cell phone towers are 1,000 to 10,000 times too lenient and need to be reevaluated.

“When you have that kind of noise and frequencies go through the body, it disrupts the body’s natural ability to communicate with and heal itself,” he said. “... I’m deeply concerned about a cell phone tower so close to our schools.”

U.S. Cellular had pursued the tower to penetrate nearby buildings and provide in-building coverage for a specific area in a half-mile radius from the site directly behind the Meadow Lane Mall. The company anticipated customers would otherwise increasingly experience poor signal reception and failed call attempts.

U.S. Cellular spokespersons clarified that the company operates below the present Federal Communications Commission’s limits on general public exposure to radio waves.

The tower will be built 105 feet tall with antennas on the inside so as to make it more aesthetically appealing. It will appear like a large flagpole, not wider than four feet at its base. It will also be surrounded by a 20-foot by 50-foot area fenced with a maintenance-free material.

For more information on the BioInitiative study, visit http://www.bioinitiative.org/

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Contact Ryan Brinks at 641-753-6611 or rbrinks@ timesrepublican.com