- by Auren Ruvinsky – Parksville Qualicum Beach News
- posted Feb 25, 2011 at 9:00 AM
Board chambers were overflowing at the Regional District of Nanaimo on Tuesday as Nanaimo parents and children came out to oppose a proposed Telus cell tower to be located near Hammond Bay Elementary School.
Two delegates spoke about health concerns associated with a tower being so close to the school, citing studies linking leukemia and DNA damage to low level radiation. Both delegates asked the tower not be located within 500 metres of the school, a standard that seemed to be agreed on by many scientists, and asked that the board also consider a bylaw restricting any cell tower from being located within that distance from a school.
Parksville city councillor Marc Lefebvre spoke about Parksville’s recent decision to reject cell tower plans at the city’s fire hall. An e-mail from a fire chief in the lower mainland suggested the tower would be a health hazard, he said, adding much of the information out there about the topic was contradictory.
The board voted unanimously against the tower plans.
