Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) Introduces H.R. 6358, the Cell Phone Right to Know Act
The Kucinich press release (below) says the H.R. 6358 legislation is calling for 1) right-to-know information re cell phone safety by way of warning labels on cell phones, 2) a new national research program to study cell phones and health and 3) for the Environmental Protection Agency to update the outdated SAR (Specific Absorption Rate). Rep. Kucinich says citizens “deserve to have up-to-date exposure standards that are put together by health professionals without conflicts of interest”.
Also, according to The Washington Post (8/3), Congress is expected to say, as early as next week, that a year-long investigation by the Government Accountability Office has found the Federal Communications Commission’s cellphone-safety regulations are woefully out of date. It is expected Congress may ask the FCC to take a new look at its safety guidelines, and specifically at how children may be affected by radiofrequency radiation.
Citizens should contact Congress to 1) Encourage members of the House of Represenatives to co-sponsor the Kucinich Cell Phone Right to Know Act, 2) Insist on a re-evaluation of EMF exposure guidelines and 3) for Congress to carefully monitor the FCC review process itself (especially given the FCC has already stated, before its review has begun, that the review process is expected to determine its guidelines are already adequate).
For Immediate Release
(202)225-5871
August 6, 2012
[email protected]
Cell Phones and Brain Cancer? Until We Know for Sure,
Kucinich Urges Cell Phone Right-to-Know Act
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Federal Appeals Court Hearing on San Francisco Labeling Law This Week
Washington D.C. (August 6, 2012) — Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) has introduced H.R. 6358, the Cell Phone Right to Know Act, a bill to grant a consumer’s right-to-know by providing for warning labels on cell phones. It would also create a new national research program to study cell phones and health and require the Environmental Protection Agency to update the outdated Specific Absorption Rate (SAR). A federal appeals court in San Francisco is expected to consider a local right-to-know ordinance this week.
“Consumers have a right to know the radiation levels of cell phones and whether they are buying the phone with the lowest – or the highest – level of exposure to cell phone radiation. They also deserve to have up-to-date exposure standards that are put together by health professionals without conflicts of interest,” said Kucinich.
When Kucinich first called a hearing on the issue as Chair of the Domestic Policy Subcommittee on September 25, 2008, Dr. Ronald Herberman, then Director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, testified to the Subcommittee, “I cannot tell this committee that cell phones are dangerous, but I certainly can’t tell you they are safe.”
Last year, the World Health Organization finished its assessment of the evidence about the links between exposure to radiation from cell phones and health problems. They concluded that there was enough evidence of a link to classify it as “possibly carcinogenic to humans,” placing it in the same category as lead and mercury.
The long-awaited Interphone study, a major inquiry into the potential links between cell phone use and tumors, concluded that when taken as a whole, there was not a link. However, when the data was broken down, more risk was found and the picture became clearer. Those using their cell phones typically only 30 minutes per day or more were found to have a 40% increased risk of a type of brain tumor called glioma, when compared to someone who had not used a cell phone. If the phone is used mostly on one side of the head, the risk is 96% more than someone unexposed to cell phone radiation.
“It took decades for scientists to be able to say for sure that smoking caused cancer. During those decades, the false impression created by industry supporters was that there was no connection between smoking and cancer, a deception which cost many lives. While we wait for scientists to sort out the health effects of cell phone radiation, we must allow consumers to have enough information to choose a phone with less radiation,” said Kucinich. “As long as cell phone users may be at increased risk of cancer or reproductive problems, Americans must have the right to know the radiation levels of cell phones.”
According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) the SAR is “the amount of radio frequency energy absorbed by the body when using a mobile phone.” The current SAR sets a maximum level of radiation emission at 1.6 watts per kilogram. The current SAR does not take into account vulnerable populations like kids or pregnant women. It also assumes a person’s only exposure is from the phone in use, but with WiFi, “smart phones,” and Bluetooth technologies, exposure to only one wireless device is increasingly rare, especially in urban environments. A Government Accountability Office report on cell phones and health is expected to be released soon.
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Download Draft Bill H.R. 6358Coommentary from Joel Moskowitz, PhD
Big Week for Cell Phone Radiation Legislation |
Download Draft Bill H.R. 6358
