Penn Forest Township is once again embroiled in a controversy over the installation of a proposed communications tower on residential property in Albrightsville, which is contrary to local zoning conditions.

To its credit, the Penn Forest Board of Supervisors denied the developer’s request for a variance, but the battle is not over. Around the nation, most notably in California, lobbyists for the telecommunications industry have been pressuring state legislatures to pass bills that will allow telecoms to override the wishes of municipalities and ignore local zoning codes.

The biological effects of electromagnetic frequencies (EMFs) emitted by microwave towers are well-documented. A 2018 study by the National Institutes of Health concluded that non-ionizing RF radiation causes biological damage, affecting everything from the growth and development of plants, to the navigation of migrating birds, bats and insects, to the quality of sleep for residents of communities located near cell towers. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5920374/

Resale values are lower for properties located near wireless antennas and cell towers. According to one survey, 94% of respondents said a nearby cell tower or group of antennas would negatively impact interest in a property or the price they would be willing to pay for it.

Hopefully more communities in our area will follow the example of Penn Forest and stop catering to an industry that is turning our region into a sea of electromagnetic radiation, not to mention its visual impact on a region celebrated for its natural beauty and scenic views.

Juliet Perrin

Albrightsville