Stricter guidelines on radiation emissions urged

Members of the Campaign for Awareness on Radiation Emissions have called on the Church authorities to rethink their decision to allow mobile phone antennas to be fixed on church roofs.

CARE said they expected the local Church to follow the example of the Catholic Church in Italy which has adopted the principle of precaution on this issue.

CARE yesterday set up a booth at City Gate in Valletta where its members were lobbying members of the public to sign a petition which will be presented to the government.

The petition calls on the government to enforce stricter guidelines on radiation emissions and to bar the installation of mobile phone antennas in places where young people meet.

Dr Anna Mallia, a CARE founder member, said CARE was not against the use of mobile phones or the operators of mobile phone services.

CARE is calling on the government to launch awareness campaigns about the health hazards from radiation emitted by cell phones and particularly by antennas put up in inhabited areas.

CARE believe that the standard 41 volts per metre adopted by Malta as an emission safety standard was far too high compared to the rest of Europe and are campaigning for the level to be lowered to six volts per metre.

Dr Mallia said that while the Malta Environment and Planning Authority laid out a series of conditions for anyone wanting to install a satellite dish, there were hardly any conditions imposed on the installation of mobile phone antennas.

Commenting about tests on radiation levels carried out by the Malta Communications Authority, Dr Mallia claimed mobile phone operators were notified when radiation level tests were going to be carried out with the result that the operators lowered the level of radiation for the duration of the tests.