PSUSD Discusses Cell Phone Tower Cancer Risks

Parents and teachers with the Palm Springs Unified School District were up in arms Tuesday over cell phone towers near their schools.

Some said the towers pose serious cancer risks.

Two doctors presented studies Tuesday to the Board of Education.

One claimed the towers are to blame for teachers developing cancer, and the other said there’s not enough evidence to prove that.

Retired epidemiologist, Sam Milham spoke for about 20 minutes, and said cell phone towers produce what he calls dirty electricity.

That’s why he said more than a dozen teachers at Vista Del Monte Elementary School have developed cancer.

A tower was contructed there in 2004.

Dr. Leeka Kheifets, a professor of epidemiology at UCLA, countered his findings, by quoting the World Health Organization, which says cell phone technology is still new, and more research needs to be done before reaching to conclusions.

“There have been no rigorous studies that looked at dirty electricity on health,” said Kheifets.

“People put their cell phones up against their ear,” said Milham. “Would you put your head against or in a microwave oven? That’s what you do everytime you make a cell call or receive a cell call.”

Milham’s solution is to install filters on power outlets in schools, which he said would clean-up the dirty electricity.

But the Board did not vote on this issue or comment on the presentations.