DETROIT (WXYZ) — The Wyandotte Public Schools Board of Education voted to accept the district superintendent’s resignation during a special meeting Wednesday night. Her resignation comes after controversy in the district regarding T-Mobile cellphone antennas installed on Washington Elementary School.
The news has some parents in the Detroit Public Schools Community District asking questions about antennas on their childrens' schools.
“We are sending our children into a hot box, a microwave,” said Aliya Moore, a mom who volunteers at Paul Robeson Malcolm X Academy in Detroit.
Moore says when she saw cellphone antennas being installed on the chimney at the school several years ago, she voiced concerns. She says she was told it was safe.
“When I saw your report, I said, wait a minute, we weren’t crazy,” Moore said.
When she saw a story sharing concerns from experts as parents protested in Wyandotte, she decided to ask questions again.
The Detroit Public Schools Community District did not confirm with 7 Action News exactly how many antennas are on schools but said said in an email, “The existence of cell towers on currently used District school buildings and vacant ones is not new. Some have existed since the early 2000s. We will look into your questions and concerns and respond to them by next week.”
“It is not right to put cell towers on schools,” said Kent A. Chamberlin, Ph.D., vice chair, International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Radiation.
Chamberlin served on a New Hampshire state commission that put together a report for legislators as they worked to regulate cellphone infrastructure. He says he learned exposure results in negative health impacts.
The U.S. National Toxicology Program released findings showing rats developed tumors after exposure to such radiation. The American Cancer Society has called for more research.
Chamberlin says cellphone companies know this but are choosing to save money by putting infrastructure on schools instead of on taller towers they would have to build.
“You are also overexposing children. And when I say overexposing, I am talking about harm, not the FCC limits,” Chamberlin said.
Chamberlin says the FCC limits were set many years ago, before we used cellphones the way we do now.
As for how old the standards are, the FCC website says, “In 1996, the FCC adopted updated guidelines for evaluating human exposure to radiofrequency (RF) fields from transmitting antennas such as those used for cellular radio.”
T-Mobile sent a statement to 7 Action News that did not address any of our questions about radiation emitted from antennas on local schools. It said, “We, like every other wireless provider, have thousands of facilities installed across the country to ensure we can provide communities the critical connectivity they want and need. Many factors go into determining the locations such as coverage and capacity needs, and all local, state and federal regulations. Throughout that process we also work closely with local government departments and other stakeholders. For more information, we recommend the CTIA website at https://www.wirelesshealthfacts.com/frequently-asked-questions/ [wirelesshealthfacts.com].
“Stay away from our kids,” Moore said to cellphone companies. “If the towers are dangerous, they need to be taken down.”
