{"id":"HHS-OASH-2026-0397-6400","number":"6400","name":"Anna Olsson","organization":"","posted":"2026-10-28T04:00Z","received":"2026-10-21T04:00Z","body":"I first became aware of the health impacts of RF/EMF emissions when our County Council in Montgomery County, Maryland was preparing a zoning text amendment (ZTA) that would allow small cell antennas as close as 30 feet to single-family homes, and as close as 10 feet to mixed zoning apartment buildings, and as a growing movement opposing this ZTA was quickly forming. Thanks to the research I was made aware of, it did not take long to realize that my family and I had been experiencing significant health impacts from a cluster of 42 cell antennas mounted less than 500 feet away on a high rise in the valley below our home, including worsening auto-immune conditions, frequent and persistent headaches, heart palpitations, and insomnia. I was stunned when learning that the FCC was operating and regulating cell antenna placement using safety standards from 1996 that were based on the thermal effects of single exposure to humans, given that these technologies have not only become exponentially more powerful, but we are now surrounded by an enormous amount of them, 24/7. I was also stunned to learn that ample research showing a multitude of detrimental effects on human health existed, but had been heavily suppressed by industry. What shocked me the most, however, was that it was written into the Telecommunications Act of 1996 that state or local governments are prohibited from denying applications for cell antenna placement due to environmental effects, which has been interpreted by multiple U.S. Circuit Courts to include \"health concerns.\"  \n\nTwo years later, when we moved into a home where we had used an RF/EMF meter to evaluate the emission levels as one of the many variables that were important to us, the change was fundamental. Within a few days, the persistent headaches had dissipated, the heart palpitations stopped, and we were able to sleep again. If I hadn't been convinced before, this cemented my conviction of how toxic these emissions are. Moreover, two of my auto-immune conditions improved significantly over the following months, and they have continued to improve - one of them measurably, as it is appearing that my Hashimoto's Hypothyroidism is reversing, and I have been able to continue to lower my doses of replacement thyroid hormone multiple times, after only increasing it for the ten years prior since my diagnosis. It is nearly impossible to avoid exposure to ever-increasing cumulative RF/EMF emissions, however, and under the current regulation - which includes the swift passing of the above mentioned ZTA by our County Council - a cell antenna can legally be mounted on the telephone pole right outside our home anytime. Updating the regulations regarding the placement of wireless facilities (cell antennas) is long overdue, and I urge you to take the science and detrimental effects on the environment and human health into consideration this time. Cell towers do not belong near homes, schools, eldercare facilities, or any other place where vulnerable humans spend a lot of time. In addition, rather than pushing more and more wireless technology on society, fund and encourage safe technologies, such as fiber-optic wired internet, whenever possible. \n\nThank you for your attention on this matter.\n","attachments":[],"attachment_inventory":true,"withheld":false,"source":"https://www.regulations.gov/comment/HHS-OASH-2026-0397-6400","tags":["health-experiences","sleep-cognition","exposure-places","policy-standards","research-evidence"],"source_hash":"879eecbdf2dcb050495e57095d977393286f30248e165b7945dd30f3ce1c8fcc","slug":"health-experiences-comment-6400","classification":{"id":"HHS-OASH-2026-0397-6400","body_sha256":"2a9960ed6cfd2c6b0929307946d3b38e7e039bfeff7caf28c8f964e36f471a83","status":"ai_reviewed","primary_topic":"infrastructure","topics":[{"id":"infrastructure","evidence":"significant health impacts from a cluster of 42 cell antennas mounted less than 500 feet away on a high rise in the valley bel"},{"id":"neurological","evidence":"o-immune conditions, frequent and persistent headaches, heart palpitations, and insomnia. I was stunned when learning t"},{"id":"cardiac","evidence":"nditions, frequent and persistent headaches, heart palpitations, and insomnia. I was stunned when learning that the FCC was oper"},{"id":"section-704","evidence":"t, however, was that it was written into the Telecommunications Act of 1996 that state or local governments are prohibited from denying appl"},{"id":"optical","evidence":"und and encourage safe technologies, such as fiber-optic wired internet, whenever possible. \n\nThank you for your attention on this matte"}],"summary":"The commenter reports family symptoms near antennas and improvement after relocation, criticizes health-related siting restrictions, and advocates updated regulation and fiber connections.","reviewed_at":"2026-10-28T23:54:32Z","review_method":"Full comment-text review with exact source evidence; attachments not reviewed","review_source_sha256":"2e8cc6d3c8882eadb7b2e0bba864f941ca30eb7fc856f0dacb969da543f9b44b","source_url":"https://rfsafe.net/hhs-comments/data/catalog.json","scope":"Original comment body; attachments excluded"},"forum_topics":["infrastructure","neurological","cardiac","section-704","optical"],"primary_topic":"infrastructure","forum_title":"The commenter reports family symptoms near antennas and improvement after relocation, criticizes health-r…"}