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mahatmakanejeeves

(57,312 posts)
Mon Jul 26, 2021, 10:10 AM Jul 2021

Montgomery County Council To Vote On 5G Zoning Bill Amid Pushback

JUL 26, 8:02 AM

Montgomery County Council To Vote On 5G Zoning Bill Amid Pushback

Dominique Maria Bonessi https://twitter.com/dbonessi

Montgomery County Council will hold a final vote Tuesday on a bill allowing the installation of 5G antennas in some residential neighborhoods. The vote comes amid pushback from some residents and elected officials.

Implementing 5G technology has faced opposition in the county for years. Opponents are asking the Council to delay the vote, requesting more community input. They cite unknowns around the safety of 5G, as well as concerns that amendments added last week haven’t been reviewed for racial equity and climate impacts.

The zoning bill delineates where and how telecommunications companies like AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint can set up 5G wireless technology, which can be up to a hundred times faster than previous generations. 5G technology uses shorter, high frequency radio waves, which allows smaller equipment, but the shorter range also means antennas need to be placed closer together. The bill requires 5G antennas to be at least 30 feet from residential homes and establishes an appeal process if neighbors object to a new antenna placement. Amendments include requiring replacement 5G antennas installed on streetlight poles to be at least 20 feet off the ground.

{snip}

“We’ve been calling for…a community workgroup,” Theodora Scarato, executive director of Environmental Health Trust and a member of the county’s Coalition to Protect Neighborhoods, a group of county advocates. “It just seems like they’re ramming this through.”

{snip}

From the comments:

monkeyrotica2 hours ago

“We’ve been calling for…a community workgroup,” Theodora Scarato, executive director of Environmental Health Trust and a member of the county’s Coalition to Protect Neighborhoods, a group of county advocates. “It just seems like they’re ramming this through.”

The latter is a Facebook site that I’m not going to touch and the former reads like the usual antivaxx quackery about 5G activating the dihydrogen monoxide in the Bill Gates microchips. So, no, I’m not going to take their cherrypicked data sets at face value.
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