Environmental Side Effects of Proposed
Increase of Power to 95 kW from
AM Radio Towers in Oak Hill, Newton
Are Not Acceptable
John M. Osepchuk, Ph. D.
History of EM safety standards and drive toward
environmental standards in addition to exposure and
product standards
History of environmental side effects near AM radio
towers--- arcs, shock and burn hazards;
RFI and sound generation phenomena at
environmental levels far below those in
existing exposure standards and FCC Rules.
Criteria for environmental acceptance; cf. WHO
definition of adverse health effects.
FCC Rules have deferred on contact current and do not
address side effects.
Recent measurements of RF voltages and currents
in Concord and Newton (up to 23 volts) suggest that
magnitude of RF voltages and currents from a
95 kWAM tower complex will be excessive and
cause unacceptable loss of quality of life to nearby
residents, schools........................
Review of Reports of Environmental
Side Effects Near AM Radio Stations
Numerous reports of RFI and sound generation; Hull,
Waltham, Newton, Mass.; Burlington, Vermont;
Pennsylvania......................
Anecdotal report of arc encountered when amateur
radio operated connected cable to new amateur radio
antenna rig near AM towers.
Arc, shock and burn concerns for workers operating
cranes in Seattle and elsewhere.
Report by governmental scientist of injury to window
washer on rig with metal chains near AM towers
Report by government scientist of sounds from shower
plumbing and air-conditioning ducts near AM towers.
Shock and burns encountered in school in Spokane near
AM towers (1987).
Shock and burns to workers in Pennsylvania
constructing water tower near 5 kW AM towers;
municipality seeks land; tower move.
Brief History of Limits on
Contact Currents
1991: IEEE C95.1 introduces limits on contact current
with two tiers from 3 kHz to 100 MHz; with some
ambiguity on time-averaging.
1996 – 1997: FCC ado