Despite strong scientific evidence, U.S. policy still shields industry instead of protecting public health.
Section 704 of the 1996 Telecommunications Act
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Strips states and communities of the ability to regulate tower siting based on health concerns.
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Violates the First Amendment (right to petition) and Tenth Amendment (state sovereignty).
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Towers can legally be placed just feet from classrooms and homes despite evidence of risk.
Public Law 90-602 (Radiation Control for Health and Safety Act of 1968)
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Requires continuous federal review of radiation-emitting technologies.
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The suspension of NTP research after it found “clear evidence” of cancer is a direct violation of this law.
FCC Oversight Failure
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The FCC is a telecom agency, not a health authority. Its guidelines, unchanged since 1996, only cover thermal risks.
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Oversight of RF health risks must be transferred to the FDA and EPA. The FDA brings biomedical expertise, while the EPA provides authority over environmental pollution and chronic exposure risks. Together, they can establish standards grounded in biology and ecology, not industry convenience.
Call for Reform: Toward a Clean Ether Act
To protect present and future generations, the U.S. must adopt a new framework — a Clean Ether Act — that treats the electromagnetic environment as seriously as air and water quality.
Key provisions should include:
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Oversight Transfer: Move RF safety authority from the FCC to the EPA and FDA jointly.
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Continuous Research: Fully restore and expand NTP and NIH funding, as mandated by Public Law 90-602.
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Repeal Section 704: Restore local rights to regulate wireless infrastructure on health grounds.
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Biologically Based Standards: Replace outdated thermal limits with exposure limits that reflect oxidative stress, DNA damage, and reproductive harm.
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Mandate Li-Fi Compatibility: Require all phones, laptops, tablets, and IoT devices sold in the U.S. to support Li-Fi for indoor connectivity. This shifts the bulk of wireless traffic off microwave frequencies, reducing chronic RF exposure in homes, schools, and workplaces.
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Environmental Justice: Recognize RF pollution as an environmental hazard under EPA jurisdiction, with protections for vulnerable populations such as children and pregnant individuals.
✅ By framing RF radiation as both a public health and an environmental justice issue, a Clean Ether Act would put the U.S. back in compliance with its own safety laws while driving innovation toward safer, light-based communication systems.