Housing, work & access barriers

Studying the health effects of wireless (RF) radiation when so many people have complained that they experience health problems after a smart meter was installed at their home or a wireless antenna went up near their place (let alone against their will) should just be common sense. I as a concerned citizen find it scary that wireless technologies are proliferating rapidly yet the health effects of them are not being addressed by appropriate authorities. My family members all insist on using their cell phones and WiFi devices in close proximity to me, every group home where they house people with disabilities (some of which RF radiation may have caused their disabilities) I have been in has WiFi and does not offer cable/ethernet internet access in the residents’ bedrooms. One group home I looked into even keeps the WiFi router for the entire house in a resident’s bedroom! Please step up to the plate and study the health effects of RF radiation. Then adopt “best practices” rules for the placement of infrastructure that produces RF radiation to balance the need for the public to have access to communications and communication devices with the need to keep our exposure to RF radiation to the minimum levels necessary and to protect people with EMR syndrome. Thank you for your time and attention to this issue.

I used a hand held cell phone for about seven or eight years prior to being diagnosed with a non-malignant brain tumor in early 2019 at 75 years of age. I underwent surgery to remove the mass successfully but still experience vision and balance problems that prohibit me driving a vehicle. Of course there's no way to "prove" that the EMF radiation was causative, however, I had been exceptionally healthy to that point. The phone I have now features "Speaker" so that one can hear with the phone at a safer distance from the head. I limit having the phone on my body, near my head or even in my hand as much as possible. There's no question in my mind that the exposure to the radiation from the old phone technology caused the brain tumor. Even though the technology's safety is said to have been upgraded, much still needs to be carefully examined, redesigned and implemented for the protection of future communicators, both young and old.

Had to move out of an apt my son and I had been living in for over 3 years. A radio tower was installed mearby, less than 100 ft from our bedroom. I experienced severe headaches and my 3 year old son had profuse nosebleeds. I now cannot be near radio frequencies, wifi or electromagnetic energy without adverse effects such as intense ringing in ears.

Questions 2–3: Experience I work in IT/marketing technology and coach youth/high school sports. My symptoms have included migraines, facial tingling, confusion, slowed processing, debilitating fatigue, anxiety, blurred vision, tinnitus, lost sleep, nosebleeds, and involuntary muscle and eye twitching. I report symptoms around TriMeter RF readings of about 1 mW/m² and aim for below 0.5 mW/m² at home. EMF-associated episodes feel similar to entering a moldy building. My nervous system feels under constant attack, unable to distinguish biotoxin illness, allergies, and EMF. This describes my experience, not a confirmed mechanism. I feel persistent reactivity impedes recovery. For over a decade, I worked/slept 5–10 feet from a Wi-Fi router. I suspect prolonged exposure, mold/mycotoxin illness, or possible Bartonella/Mycoplasma infections contributed. These are hypotheses based on thoughtful reflection. Dr. Neil Nathan’s book and online research eventually led me to RF/EMF meters. An environmental illness/biotoxin physician told me he lacked expertise here. Impacts: • Employment: Finding work from a wired home office is difficult; many jobs require office attendance. Symptoms in wireless-heavy offices challenge my ability to earn income. I have struggled to find a clear diagnostic pathway and documentation for disability recognition, accommodations, or support. • Coaching: Symptoms impair quick decisions and emotional regulation. Some parks, schools, and stadiums host antennas [5–6]. I cannot relocate events. • Transportation: Cars are my worst environments. Cell phones, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and vehicle electronics concern me. Some planes, buses, and trains offer Wi-Fi, plus cellular transmissions where permitted. • Relationships: Family and friends sometimes disregard device boundaries. Some have called me “crazy,” adding conflict and isolation. • Housing: Avoiding nearby towers and neighboring apartment Wi-Fi, building a wired home, and finding appliances without wireless transmitters have been difficult. • Daily life: Wi-Fi in stores, malls, hotels, and offices feels ubiquitous. • Hospitals: Extensive Wi-Fi coverage makes hospitals particularly difficult for me. Caring for my parents at the end of their lives was harder because of symptoms I experienced there. I fear being hospitalized without a tolerable environment or accommodations. Questions 9, 11, 15: Children/accountability My children have experienced illness we associate with mold/mycotoxin exposure. I worry about classroom exposures and possible susceptibility from preexisting illness. Provide independent measurements near schools/homes, including towers a few hundred yards away. Proximity alone does not establish excessive exposure. Municipal responses assigning monitoring to carriers leave accountability unclear. Clarify carrier duties, FCC oversight, local roles, and complaints [7]. Approving towers as routine infrastructure without a public vote concerns me. Please ensure advance notice, accessible plans, meaningful public comment, and transparent decisions. If a nearby line-of-sight tower made symptoms unmanageable, I might need to uproot my family. I fear tolerable urban/suburban housing will become harder to find. Moving cannot prevent new towers. Question 16: Research Study sleep, cognition, emotional regulation, and mental health, especially in young people. Reports linking rage or suicidal thoughts to EMF symptoms concern me but do not prove causation or explain school violence. Distinguish exposure effects from pain, sleep loss, isolation, device use, and other factors. Assess vehicle RF alongside magnetic fields from electrical systems, fan motors, and rotating magnetized tire belts [1]. Reflections can create localized RF hotspots; vehicle bodies alter absorption patterns [2–3]. Investigate mold interactions. Ahmad et al. reported increased and decreased fungal growth and aflatoxin production under static magnetic fields [4]. Prioritize research, respectful care, transmitter disclosure, wireless shutoffs, wired alternatives, and workplace/hospital accommodations. Sources [1] Tire fields: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10495309/ [2] RF reflections: https://doi.org/10.1143/JPSJ.75.084801 [3] Vehicle RF: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17518290/ [4] Mold/static fields: https://anjs.edu.iq/index.php/anjs/article/view/688 [5] Park antennas: https://www.sandiego.gov/sites/default/files/ho-17-002.pdf [6] School antennas: https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/dam/sdc/pds/PC/240920-supporting-documents/Item%202%20SDSAN00442B.pdf [7] FCC rules: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-19-126A1_Rcd.pdf

The roll of out 5G has nearly ruined my life and my health. I have always been sensitive to electromagnetic fields, but 5G is infinitely worse. When I am in an enclosed space (public transportation) with 5G or in close proximity to a wifi router my symptoms start this way. First, I notice a sense of pressure inside my head, followed by intense headache. Then my face and muscles start to hurt and I get ringing in my ears. The more time I spend near it the worse I feel. If the exposure is prolonged I get heart palpitations and nausea. It keeps me from sleeping at night as well. I know this is not psychosomatic because after I connected my commuter in my workstation with an ethernet cable and turned the wifi off, all these symptoms disappeared. I have been able to control to some degree what I am exposed to inside my living space, but public spaces are a different matter. 5G has significantly damaged my ability to participate in life to the point that I cannot work in a public office space and have to limit travel. I have not traveled by plane for 2 years because of this. A change in public policy would hugely impact my life for the better.

SUMMARY This submission identifies four areas where there are gaps in necessary protection for long term public health. Cell masts capable of RF transmission are being installed in residential streets— Without long term effects having been proven safe for human and wildlife health; and Without reported adverse effects having been avoided or remedied; and Without the democratic agreement of residents living within reach and sight of the technology; and Without adequate monitoring of transmission levels. The regulatory authorities are failing to protect human and wildlife wellbeing in these four ways. Issues of public concern regarding positioning of cell masts in residential areas: The telecom companies are not required to remedy loss of good health, nor pay for shielding materials to avoid effects, nor compensate loss of pleasure in life. There is no provision for the public to have rights of objection to the choice of site for a cell mast, nor rights to compensation and fair settlement. Recourse to legal processes is beyond the means of most households. That is, the costs of shielding materials, re-designing bedrooms where children sleep, and “leaving all fair” should fall on the telecommunication companies and not on the householder. DETAILS IN DOCUMENT ATTACHED “Pond Submission”

I am submitting this comment in response to HHS’s Request for Information on Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs), Radiofrequency (RF) Radiation, and Wireless Radiation Exposure. I am responding from the perspective of a researcher, environmentalist and advocate for persons with the functional impairment known as electrosensitivity.who has experienced it herself. My research has documented biological and environmental effects from RF sources such as smart electricity meters and 5G transmissions. I am a member of Life-Environmental Network, a Japanese NGO advocating for the rights of persons with electrosensitivity and multiplechemical sensitivity. I am a US citizen living abroad. I am attaching a summary of my observations on the introduction of smart meters and my full report on changes in flora and fauna coinciding with the introduction of 5G service in the area I currently reside in. It is important to note that for people with electyrosensitivity, including myself, the world where we can safely conduct our activities has become increasingly narrow. We had to move out of Tokyo to a rural area, in particular for my husband's health, but I also find it hard to tolerate the environment in large cities.I've had to install RF-shielding material at home, and can no longer enjoy eating at restaurants that have introduced wireless ordering equipment.The electrosensitive have to limit their time at public meetings, and many of them cannot tolerate computer equipment enough to participate on line, so our voices are heard infrequently, and many people who know about the problem assume it has been solved because they're not hearing from these people. Over the years, many people I've known with electrosensitivity have died or gone missing. In February 2020, a group of the affected patients assembled in Tokyo to talk with the ministries involved in health and telecommunications. They described their difficulties, including the social stigma they face, and they asked for a "leper colony" where they could live with others similarly affected and recover their health. Then COVID hit and no one could meet with anyone else, and it was all forgotten. This was Japan, but the people affected in other countries, including the US still exist and still need help. I hope their needs can be taken into consideration.

I live in a town in Wexford Ireland. I am surrounded by masts/antennas/smart meters/modems and mobiles phones, my ears are always ringing, some days it's unbearable, it's also known by some as microwave hearing, I get palpitations often, my skin feels like I have ants crawling on it, my eyes are sore, I get easily agitated in crowds, I get anxious and sometimes dizzy also, if I am in an area with lots of people, I do feel like I need to escape and that I am under attack. I can no longer socialize, so no more pubs/clubs/any music venues or gatherings unless it's somewhere I can escape away from everyone, I feel like my life is on hold. I am a keen gardener, I grow my own food and have noticed over the last 3 years that food is getting harder to grow and that there is less and less wildlife, I have also noticed that the environment is suffering, especially trees. My personal opinion is that after wildlife dying at such an alarming rate we will be next. I am the canary in the coal mine. My new modem from Vodafone, even though the WiFi is turned off emits pulsed radiation of over 3.000 mW/m2 which for me is a huge problem. I just wish for wifi free areas, especially my home, people should have a choice, people and wildlife should not have to live in a poisoned environment. Areas where there are a lot of people congregating should be wireless radiation free. I feel that wireless radiation is the new smoking, and that we should have areas where there is none.

I am electro sensitive. I have to shield my home from EMFs because I react to them. When my kids turn on their mobile phones when I'm fast asleep I immediately wake up and start shaking. I feel burning on the top of my head and my heart palpitates. I then switch on a broad range microwave meter and sure enough my body is always right about detecting these unwanted microwaves. For me ES is just like any other allergic reaction. I have even fallen over in a shop when the WI Fi was too high. I can no longer shop in my groceries store because their new EMF communications system on the many self-service tills gives me a very strong feeling in my heart and my blood pressure goes sky high without me feeling stressed. It's not stress - it's the new system. It also burns my eyes and makes the skin on my face feel sore. Some people think allergies are psychosomatic but people can't stop a peanut allergy or feeling pain and ES is the same. I can't work because I couldn't sit in an EMF environment for long. At times in the past when badly exposed I have actually experienced red burns and patches on my face. I live in an apartment surrounded by other people's routers & wi-fi and mobile phone, blue tooth gadgets etc. My husband and I have had to completely shield all walls facing these other apartments using metal based wallpapers and carbon paint and earthing these to the mains earth to better act as a shield and drain any static build up etc. This has been a horribly painstaking process as only an unbroken surface of shielding with prevent microwave emissions entering the space (Microwaves are pretty tiny...). I have had to use special silver-coated shielding net curtains to block wi-fi from entering through windows from where the neighbors apartment wraps round to face our part of the building. In order to monitor this we have bought a small acoustic and LED monitoring wide range microwave acoustimeter (meter). Which is quite sensitive and we use for diagnosis during and after blocking treatments. At times we have 'over treated' areas and this seems counterproductive and I can't remain in the room feeling some kind of build up. We have to constantly react to neighbors who may move a router, buy a different device and specifically are fighting every new pressure technique to install smart meters for electricity in a small cupboard right the other side of the wall to our apartment - this has been a horrific and ongoing battle and has the potential to ruin our relationship with our sometimes baffled neighbors. Part way through this process our MD Doctor assessed me and diagnosed me as having Electrosensitivity what has been of some help in countering arguments from installers of the smartmeters etc. Engineers lie about the meters swearing blind that they can instal them in 'dumb mode', which is only partially true as the meters still emit a very strong microwave call-and-response signal every minute or so to try and make a connection, and this part of the device cannot be switched off - it is part of how it works. I am also susceptible to other allergies, have a strong sensitivity to dust, moulds and other allergens. We would love to move to a detached house in the country away from all exposure but in the UK that is prohibitively expensive. We also live in fear of mobile phone masts of 5G masts being suddenly erected near our house as these can circumnavigate all planning regulations in the UK (In fact they need not even apply in most cases). In all our right to live a peaceful life without microwaves is completely non-existant in reality - we cannot require neighbors to stop their wi-fi entering our property, we cannot require councils not to place mobile phone masts wherever they want and we cannot stop supermarkets, shops or other facilities flooding their premises with microwave emissions with it seems stronger and stronger levels built off the back of being better and better at penetrating through walls etc to give consumers a 'good signal'. This is an extraordinary strain on one's wellbeing and mental health as a single issue encountered could drive us out of our house with no safe place to go that may not be subjected to the same problems suddenly and often irreparably. It is also a strain on family life and friendships as everyone has to be told not to have their phone on in the house, including smartwatches and unfortunately the hearing aid of my mother in law who does visit but can't hear what we are saying because she has to have the hearing aid off (It is a wireless version - all that is available nowadays). When people come in and are 'swept' with the microwave meter they will often get grumpy when they have turned their phone onto airplane mode, then have to be asked to turn off bluetooth as well, then location services and then even when they have given up and powered off the whole device (So they think) we discover that even so they may have a 'Find my Phone' service still on.

In response to the question of my personal health issues caused by exposure to EMFs, radio frequency, and wireless radiation exposure: I have not been able to go anywhere for over 10 years where there are groups of people, because of the high EMFs, etc. levels caused by their cellphones, and, of course, the proliferation of cell towers, including 5G. After so many years of being mostly stuck in the house, my mental state can be difficult to deal with. Wearing personal shielding clothing, I am only able to go to the store for groceries and other necessities, a local park, and the library for short periods of time. Due to the radiation from Smart Meters and cell towers in the vicinity of the mobile home park where we live, I can no longer spend time in my own backyard, which is adjacent to a beautiful, large creek. Sadly, I can no longer work in the garden. Before I got dramatically sick from cumulative wi-fi exposure on July 3, 2016, I was very active socially. For many years, I was a folk musician and performed all over the U.S and also in Europe. I also produced a music festival in Berkeley, California. But that life is over for me, now. When I got sick because of smart meters, cell towers, and the wi-fi router in our house, I couldn’t talk and I could barely walk, and what I did try to say was described as “gibberish”. Basically, my brain shut down to the bare minimum necessary to keep my body alive. It took 8 months of sleeping 10 hours a night in a house with absolutely no wi-fi and lots of shielding on the doors and windows (and excellent natural health care, including dietary measures) before I could think straight and communicate clearly again. I might add that after Smart Meters were put on the electric meters in our mobile home park with approximately 40 units, the bees and butterflies started dying. Of course, we “opted out” and convinced several neighbors close by to do the same. Actually, we have been paying their opt-out fees for about 8 years. I urge you to take the human and environmental consequences of EMF exposure seriously and consider slowing down the increasing number of 5G towers across the country. In making these important decisions for every American, please remember me and everyone who spoke against more microwave/EMF technology. You have a chance now to prevent the coming avalanche of cancer, atrial fibrillation, other heart problems, and nervous system disorders, including mental problems. Microwave radiation has a severe impact on the body, but by the time most people realize it, they are already very sick and it is difficult to recover. I am one of the lucky ones who managed to recover, thanks to my partner who has made a huge effort to totally shield our house, including the windows, to protect us. I will be 80 years old in December and I live in a mobile home that is totally shielded to keep out microwave-radiation, thanks to the efforts of my partner. We have incurred approximately $5,000 in costs for the shielding necessary to live in a wi-fi free home with WIRED computers and router. My partner is a wholistic chiropractor, and he has many patients who are ill (and some who have died) because of wi-fi exposure, including but not limited to cancer and atrial fibrillation, which is happening more and more across the U.S. We are very grateful to Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for focusing on the dangers of this harmful technology. It’s long over-due for regulation.