testimony given in An Electronic Silent Spring by Katie Singer

George Tabor, 66, retired nuclear structural inspector for the Navy: For more than two decades, my work included inspecting nuclear power plants on submarines for structural errors. The Navy obeyed NAVSEA guidelines, which limit the amount of radiation that workers can be exposed to by the quarter and by the year. Every day, my body was tested to ensure that I was not exposed to more radiation than NAVSEA allowed. Over the years, standards changed, and we workers were allowed less exposure. Before the Navy let me work, I signed that I understood that I would be exposed to ionizing radiation, and that it could harm my health. I retired in 1995.

          Around 2007, city-wide Wi-Fi got installed in my town. “Smart” meters arrived in 2010. After these installations, my diabetes symptoms got worse, and I developed a heart arrhythmia, sleep apnea and nervous tension. In the Summer of 2013, a new device was put on the utility pole near my house. I’ve heard that it connects Wi-Fi, the “smart” grid and emergency response communications. Is this true? I don’t know. Is this safe? I don’t know. But when I stand on my porch, I feel dizzy, like someone kicked me in the knees. I get headaches and frequent nightmares. I lose my strength and become easily irritable.

          I removed all wireless devices and services from my house, but I still don’t feel well here. Several times, I’ve slept on a friend’s sofa a few towns away. I bought an oximeter, which measures the oxygen in my blood. According to my doctor, a reading of 97% or higher means I’m getting the oxygen I need. Seventeen miles out of town, I’m at a healthy, 99%. In town, I usually measure 88% to 95%. Once, it measured 83% in town.

          I got an Acoustimeter from lessemfs.com to identify hot spots of extremely low frequencies and radiofrequencies around my house and the city. On my porch, I usually find electric fields of 0.07 to 1.0 volts per meter. Downtown, 3.0, 4.0 and even 5.0 volts per meter are common. These are not safe levels, especially for 24/7 exposure. They are likely Wi-Fi and cell phone signals, maybe also TV or taxi dispatch signals.

          The BioInitiative 2012 Report advises limiting electric field exposure to 0.03 volts per meter. The EPA advises keeping exposure to less than 0.13. The FCC says to keep it to less than 2.0 volts per meter.

          Clearly, it’s high time for a government agency to determine, monitor and enforce safe levels of ELFs and RF fields–just like the Navy does for workers exposed to ionizing radiation.