University/Gov't

Private

Summary

EMF continues to be of interest to universities, governments, and private citizens.

Here are some of the more active websites.

No electric utility or utility organization regularly addresses EMF issues.

(See above links for more information)

More information on EMF

University or Government

Bioelectromagnetics Society is a membership organization made up of the leading EMF researchers. The Society's journal, Bioelectromagnetics, contains a wealth of relevant studies. Unfortunately, only abstracts of the articles are available to those who are not associated with an institution that has acquired a subscription.

A database of research into EMF is found at the Femu Database-website in Aachen/Germany. While not easy to use, it does provide a wealth of information on the biological interaction between cells and EMF.

Professor Dennis Henshaw of Bristol University in the UK has conducted research that suggests the dangers from power lines is much greater than indicated in most other studies. He summarizes his views and presents his new research on his website.

The Bristol Group has another website that does a nice job of summarizing the available research.

Private

Emfguru follows the literature and maintains a site where others can submit information

Powerwatch follows developments in the UK

Concerned Citizens for Rabun's Heritage describes a transmission power line fight in Georgia, and has a good set of links to other interesting sites.

John Moulder, who is frequently retained by utilities to testify on their behalf, maintains a website where he explains why he minimizes the association between EMF and serious disease. (Hint: no study explaining a relationship meets his standards of quality. Also he selectively quotes non-representative passages from studies, thereby mischaracterizing the studies' findings.) Nevertheless, a careful reading of his site shows that even Moulder now appears to concede that magnetic field intensities greater than 4 mG are associated with cancer.

A group of parents in England have have built a site where they document cases of where children exposed to high levels of EMF have contracted cancer.

A professor at Louisiana State University has been involved with EMF research for years. Based on his personal experience, he believes that the EMF/disease link has been suppressed for years.

A new Austrailian consumer advocacy group has just been established. It's name is EMR Association of Australia, and it has an interesting website.

Revolt, a group fight power lines in the UK has an interesting website.

SOUL (Save Our Unique Lands) has successfully fought a Wisconsin power line for many years. As part of its resistance, it relies in part upon its concern over the health implications of power lines.\

Minnesota Department of Health

The Minnesota Department of Health has been inconsistent about the dangers of EMF. In connection with hearings before the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board, Health Department Commissioner Jan Malcolm wrote a letter in October 1999 expressing concern over EMF insofar as it impacts the SE Metro Line.

However, starting only only three months, in January 2000, the department changed its views in an "Assessment."

In November 2000, Ms. Malcolm, while not denying the expression of concern contained in her earlier letter, wrote the PLTF affirming her support for the Assessment

In December 2000, the Power Line Task Force documented the severe failings of the Assessment. In a separate letter, it alerted the Health Department to the change in Xcel's posture regarding the health dangers of EMF.

The Department responded to the PLTF Letters. The key sentence reads with respect to EMF, "...We consider it prudent public health policy ... to support prudent avoidance measures." Nevertheless, the Department puts considerable weight upon the lack of a mechanistic explanation, even though science does not require such links.

In spite of the extensive new information, including the draft of the California Evaluation, the MDH continued to refuse to alter its stance.

On February 4, 2002, The Minnesota Health Department has taken upon itself the task of support Xcel's attempt to build power lines. In fulfillment of that task, it testified before the Sunfish Lake City Council urging the Council to ignore the health risks and approve Xcel's proposal. Here is a transcript of that testimony, and here is our analysis.

Finally, on November 7, 2002, the Departed, rejected the California report based on web pages maintained by utility industry spokesman and a non-authoritative NIEHS fact sheet released before the final California report was published.

During the week of March 31, 2002, the Minnesota Department of Health posted an evaluation of the massive report of the California Health Department that found that magnetic fields probably cause a number of deadly diseases. The evaluation, whose authorship is not stated, was produced in secret utilizing a process that was completely closed. Perhaps as a result, it contains numerous factual errors. Nothing is known about the people or process through which reached its conclusions, nor the standards it used. Additionally, in Minnesota, a so-called Interagency Working Group on EMF issues issued a report dated September 2002, but likely also published last week. It also contains numerous errors. Again, no authors were identified, and the process through which this report was produced was completely closed. Perhaps as a result, It is clearly not a serious report but rather a reiteration of the utility industry's position

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