Parents to School: 'Educate Don't Radiate'

Cell phone tower built on school's playground

Updated: Tuesday, 10 Apr 2012, 4:18 AM MST
Published : Monday, 09 Apr 2012, 7:32 AM MST

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - How safe are cell phones, or more specifically, how safe are cell phone towers?

That's the question some valley parents asked on Monday. They say a new cell phone tower on Copper Ridge School grounds has to go and they're upset it was built in the first place.

"We live here in Silverleaf. Homes start at $2 million. We came here to live and have a safe place for our children, and now our school right across the street is selling out our kids," said parent Sam Buot.

A community meeting was held Monday at 9 a.m. about the tower, which wasn't fully installed and built without approval from the parents and school. As a result of the meeting, the Scottsdale Unified School District says the project is now on hold.

There will be no transmission coming from the tower, at least not in the immediate future.

The media was not allowed to attend the meeting between the school district and parents, citing security concerns.

According to the parents, the tower is above the kindergarten and first graders' classrooms.

There have been many studies over the years about cell phones and possible health dangers, specifically because of the electromagnetic fields -- which is how cell phones communicate with the tower. Parents at the meeting cited a bill from the Georgia legislature and some scientific discussion on the internet. They feel there could be a cancer danger from the tower.

But according to the American Cancer Society's web site, there is no cancer risk associated with cell phone towers. Nevertheless, parents want the tower down and they want it down now.

We also asked a professor of health physics at ASU.

"It is not dangerous at all. That is not to say there is no risk, but if there is one it is too small to be measured," said ASU Professor Kenneth Mossman.

"It angers me because we give a lot of money to the PTO every year. This PTO probably has more money than entire school districts and the parents are very involved, and it's like a slap in the face that none of us found this out and they kinda went behind our backs and did this," said Tonia Potyczka, a parent.

$1,200 was paid by Sprint to the SUSD every month for the privilege of putting up the tower at CRS located in the DC Ranch area. Parents who pay $2,500 for a parking space at the school scoff at that amount.

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/news/education/controversial-cell-phone-tower-built-04092012