Towers & siting

My name is Heather Gallagher, and I am writing to you as a parent demanding immediate, modernized safety standards for wireless radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields (EMFs) in school environments. Parents should not have to fight relentless, exhausting battles with school board districts and multi-billion-dollar telecommunications corporations simply to ensure that our children are safe from non-ionizing radiation exposure while attending public school. My teenager attended Casa Grande High School in Petaluma, California, where a massive industrial cell tower was operating directly on the school's athletic fields. Alarmingly, we discovered a heartbreaking cluster of young Physical Education teachers and athletic coaches from that school diagnosed with rare cancers. Distracted and deeply concerned, I hired a professional Building Biologist to conduct independent testing on the school ground. The measured radiation levels were shockingly high. Recognizing the severe risk to students and faculty, I worked tirelessly to educate our local school board on the biological science surrounding RF radiation. After reviewing the evidence, the school board voted to remove the tower. During this process, we uncovered an even more egregious outrage: T-Mobile had installed the tower illegally, having failed to secure the proper local permits. It took lengthy and arduous legal negotiations between the district and T-Mobile to undo this violation. Finally, after immense public pressure and community advocacy, the tower is scheduled to be taken down this November 2026. Following this ordeal, our school district passed a moratorium on new cell towers on school grounds. It is utterly ridiculous that a parent must act as a full-time advocate, investigator, and legal watchdog just to keep children safe at school—and unacceptable that telecommunications giants like T-Mobile can bypass municipal laws to erect unauthorized towers on campuses where children spend five days a week. The FCC’s current exposure guidelines are decades out of date, relying on obsolete thermal models that ignore an overwhelming and growing body of peer-reviewed scientific literature demonstrating non-thermal biological harm—particularly to developing children. Scientific Evidence on RF/EMF Exposure & Children's Health In September 2026, the International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields (ICBE-EMF)—including renowned experts such as Dr. David Carpenter (University at Albany), Dr. Ronald Melnick (former NTP toxicologist and lead designer of the NIH cell phone study), and Dr. Joel Moskowitz (UC Berkeley)—issued a clear warning: “The current body of research provides sufficient evidence to warrant the adoption of policies that mitigate risk by reducing exposure. Research has reported biological effects from exposure to non-ionizing electromagnetic fields (EMFs) at levels well below current FCC, ICNIRP, and IEEE exposure limits. Studies have reported numerous adverse effects, including cancer, oxidative stress, genetic impacts, blood-brain barrier permeability, sperm damage, structural and functional changes of the reproductive system, impairments in cognition, learning and memory, sleep impacts, EEG alterations, and other neurological effects.” Fetal & Early Gene Expression Disruptions: A 2025 Yale Medical School study (Cakir et al.) reported disrupted neurodevelopment and increased expression of autism-related genes in fetal-brain laboratory models exposed to BT/RF radiation at levels ~4,000 times below FCC exposure limits. Disproportionate RF Absorption in Children: Children absorb far more RF radiation than adults due to thinner skulls and unique tissue composition. Scientific modeling demonstrates absorption rates in children that are 2-fold greater in the cerebellum, 2–5-fold higher in the eyes, and up to 30-fold higher in the hippocampus. Lee & Choi (2023) modeled daily brain energy absorption from continuous cell tower exposure exceeding direct cell phone exposure by more than tenfold in young children. Studies consistently link prenatal/postnatal wireless exposure to developmental delays, lower cognitive scores, memory performance deficits, and behavioral issues in children. The FCC can no longer ignore this expanding body of peer-reviewed research. Protecting the health, safety, and developing brains of our children must take precedence over corporate convenience. I urge the FCC to: Update and lower RF radiation exposure limits to reflect current non-thermal biological research. Establish strict federal buffer zones banning industrial cell towers on or directly adjacent to K-12 school property. Enforce stringent legal penalties against telecom companies that erect unauthorized or improperly permitted infrastructure near sensitive populations.

I have been getting headaches and nausea at certain areas where I work. Since I work near a 5G tower, I purchased a Trifield EMF meter and sure enough, the places where I have been experiencing shooting head aches and nausea have been the places where the meter is screaming with the highest levels reaching even maximum range for the meter at times. This is in Raleigh NC on Capital Blvd.

As a disabled veteran living in New Braunfels Texas I’ve been experiencing more electromagnetic frequencies all over my body to include under my skin. It’s seems as a small town the more Gwen towers we’re put up in this small town the electromagnetic frequencies I’ve. been it’s not a smart city but still the excessive amount of electromagnetic frequencies is enormous. Hope this is investigated soon. I live about five hundred yards from a Gwen tower and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs has been informed.

I had to deal with a guy that lived next to a cellphone tower last year and the first part of this year. As soon as it got upgraded from 4g to 5g the guy completely lost his mind. Didn't act right after that stated have mental health issues.

I had to deal with a guy that lived next to a cellphone tower last year and the first part of this year. As soon as it got upgraded from 4g to 5g the guy completely lost his mind. Didn't act right after that stated have mental health issues.

I have developed a persistent cough since I work in Phoenix, Maryland in the last 4 years. At times I have unexplained headaches and am a healthy person. I have had to be on various medicine without explanation what’s going on with my lungs and do think it’s related to the numerous towers with the 5G and 6G surrounding our office in the Manor Shopping Center there is 6 total. The shopping center is owned by a lawyer named Tritt Farley, I will be vacating my space intent in end of November unfortunately to not work near them. Manor Shopping Center 3421 Sweet Air Road Phoenix, Maryland 21131 Please research and it’s a wonderful area to test unfortunately next door immediately is Jacksonville elementary school. Hope it’s not affecting the kids Gratefully, Deborah Campbell

am not exaggerating when I say that cell towers, cell phones, wi-fi, etc. are ruining the quality of my life. Our adult son is so debilitated by EMFs he cannot work or even socialize with people who carry cell phones, which is everyone. He cannot get disability coverage for this disability, so my husband and I are supporting him with our dwindling retirement money and part-time jobs. We've already moved once to get away from cell towers, but they are EVERYWHERE. I am a 73-year-old retired dietitian, in excellent health, take no medications, 90% of my diet is organic, pasture raised, and grass-fed.  Our home has a landline phone, no satellite dishes for years, and we've never had Wi-Fi.  I own a cell phone but only turn it on when I need to use it. My debilitating issues (headaches, severe brain fog, heart palpitations) with cell phones and cell towers began as we all emerged from the covid lockdown.  I'd heard rumors that telecom companies would be taking advantage of fewer people on the streets to begin putting up a large number of cell towers. I thought this was silly because they seemed to have carte blanche to put cell towers up wherever and whenever they chose.  I've since learned to pay more attention to "rumors". My first major hit from a new cell tower was in the parking lot of our local Loveland, Colorado county building when I went in to register a new car. I had been to this building many times in prior years and had no issues.  On this day as I walked across the parking lot to the building, I quickly developed a crushing headache.  I'm not a person who gets headaches.  Later, as I left the building and got in my car, I looked up to see a huge, new cell tower that wasn't there the year before.  It's so powerful that I can no longer drive along that road without getting a headache. That was the beginning of my very restricted, and not-feeling-well life because of cell towers and other people's cell phones. Last year we moved to a smaller town nearby that we had visited often in the past thinking we would get some relief. It's WORSE because it's the tourist town of Estes Park, Colorado and they did their own maximizing of cell towers to "enhance" the visitor experience. Following is a list of places I can no longer go both in Loveland and Estes Park Colorado. We also have friends in the cities of Fort Collins and Longmont which are also EMF'd to the max. - Library - Estes Park and Loveland - Restaurants/coffee houses, theatres (usually because of the other patron's cell phones) - Quilt shop (on the second floor of a bank with a cell tower attached to the outer wall) - Also the quilt shop in Loveland - Quilters Guild meetings (in a church with a cell tower in the parking lot) - Musical festivals and events the town's park because of a looming cell tower. - A friend's home in Ft. Collins because they live next to a high school with TWO towers. (She is constantly sick) - The two hospitals in Loveland and one in Estes Park are so EMF'd I cannot drive by without getting a headache and heart palpitations. I had to cut short a hospital visit with a friend because I thought I would pass out. I used to work in a hospital so it's not fear of hospitals. - My favorite walking trail in Loveland. - Estes Park schools (elementary, jr. high, and high school) are in a section of town where I cannot drive down the street because I get headaches and heart palpitations. - Both the Loveland and Estes Park community centers - Estes Park fairgrounds - I cannot drive on highway 36 between Estes Park and Longmont/Boulder because of the cylindrical towers every 1/2 mile. - While stopped at the newer traffic lights my hands cramp on the steering wheel. Cramping goes away when I'm about a block away from the intersection. - A friend just moved to Greeley, Colorado and it's difficult to visit because the drive starting from I-25 along highway 34 to Greeley is littered with cell towers and stuff on the traffic light poles. By the time I reach her lovely EMF free home, I'm so sick it's hardly worth it. - Before applying for a job or planning to go ANYWHERE I need to visit first to see if I can tolerate the EMF level. My current temp job is about to end and I'm terrified that I won't be able to find a job environment that won't make me sick. Tomorrow my son and I are going to venture into town to see if there is any EMF activity at the new indoor carousel because I'd like to take my granddaughter later this week. I am so grateful to this administration's HHS and its attention to the EMF problem. EMFs are getting worse every year. We are considering moving to another town, but we can't afford to move again AND I'm sure there will be towers and people with their super powerful cell phones in line behind me at the grocery store.

There is a cell phone tower a couple hundred yards from my mom’s home where she has lived for 35 years. The cell phone tower has been there maybe 15-20 years I would say. I lived there a duration of 15 years while it was there . We have both been diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer with metastatic disease to the lymph nodes. Within 5 years of each other.

Attached is testimony recounting my experience suffering serious adverse health effects, due to prolonged, intensified, and excessive exposure to cell phone towers over the apartment where I lived for 30 years in Washington DC (and was hence forced to evacuate). Thank you for the opportunity to comment.

In 2011 I bought my first iPhone. I began to feel very ill. When I put the phone down I felt better. I got rid of the phone. I lived my life only being able to use technology in limited ways but it was manageable. In 2019 my workplace updated their WiFi throughout the building and I was no longer able to be inside the building. In 2020 as most 5G was installed, it was the drop that tipped the bucket for the radiation exposure my body could handle and I am no longer able to use a computer, go inside any public buildings with WiFi, homes with WiFi, cars with Bluetooth or be in the vicinity of any type of cell tower. My life is severely limited due to the sea of non-ionizing radiation we live in each day. I cannot work, go shopping, or visit friends or family without severe radiation sickness