Stewart Report
Main Conclusions
Recommendation for the way forward
Children
Quotes given from the report

Stewart Report –

The report of The INDEPENDENT EXPERT GROUP ON MOBILE PHONES (The Stewart Report) http://www.iegmp.org.uk/
10 months of enquiries, published May 2000.

The report is a bit on the long side and much just describes what they considered. Here is an overview of important bits concerning mast placement issues. Sometimes a simple re-phrasing, summarising what the report says is given; see the report itself for the exact text.

Main Conclusions on Health

Of the main 7 conclusions (sections 1.16 –1.22) none claim that mobile phone radiation is safe.

1.17 The balance of evidence to date suggests that exposures to RF radiation below current guidelines do not cause adverse health effects,

1.18 but there may be biological effects occurring at exposures below these guidelines though these effects do not necessarily lead to disease or injury.

1.19 people can vary in their susceptibility to environmental hazards. It is not possible at present to say that exposure to RF radiation, even at levels below national guidelines, is totally without potential adverse health effects, and that the gaps in knowledge are sufficient to justify a precautionary approach.

1.20 This precautionary approach be adopted until much more detailed and scientifically robust information on any health effects becomes available

 

Other points which seem particularly relevant:

1.42 Macrocell base stations sited within or near school grounds, should not have a beam of greatest intensity that falls on any part of the school grounds or buildings without agreement from the school and parents. (see Children and schools)

1.43 We recommend that in making decisions about the siting of base stations, planning authorities should have the power to ensure that the RF fields to which the public will be exposed will be kept to the lowest practical levels that will be commensurate with the telecommunications system operating effectively.

6.44 The anxieties that some people feel, when the uncertainties in scientific knowledge is ignored can in themselves affect their well-being.

 

Recommendation for the way forward.

1.38 We recommend that a robust planning template be set in place within 12 months of the publication of this report.

1.39 We recommend that a national database be set up by Government giving details of all base stations and their emissions.

1.40 We recommend that an independent random, ongoing, audit of all base stations be carried out to ensure that exposure guidelines are not exceeded

1.61 We are concerned at the variability and the limited extent of the information made available to consumers on mobile phone products.


 

Children

See Stewart Report section 6.63 – 6.68
Children are more vulnerable -
There is evidence that at the frequencies used in mobile phone technology, children will absorb more energy (per kilogram of body weight) than adults. A one year old could absorb around double, and a five year old around 60%, more than an adult. Additionally, since children are being exposed to RF radiation from base stations (and from mobile phones) from a younger age than adults, they will have a longer time in which to accumulate exposure over the course of their lives, and a longer time for any delayed effects of exposure to develop.

CHILDREN AT SCHOOL

The Stewart Report says that base stations sited within or near school grounds, should not have a beam of greatest intensity that falls on any part of the school grounds or buildings without agreement from the school and parents.

An explanation, of why the report only considers the exposure of children to base-station radiation while at school, is given in ‘Clarification of Stewart Report Issues’ http://www.iegmp.org.uk/Queries.htm

The Expert Group was specifically asked by government to address the issue of siting of base stations on or near schools as “It is known that children are in school for a large proportion of the day, whereas their whereabouts outside school are much less clearly defined”.

 

CHILDREN WHEN OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL

Where children’s whereabouts outside school are known a reasonable position to take, based on what the report says, would be -
When considering how base-stations are to be sited, proper application of the precautionary principle means do not allow ‘the beam of maximum intensity’ to fall on schools or school land (knowing that children are there 6 hours a day) or on any residential properties or land where children  are known to be for 6 hours a day or more.

Write and inform telecomm operators planning a base-station, should children’s homes be affected, asking them to apply this precautionary principle. – send a list of nearby addresses with the numbers of children known to be living there.

Quotes given from the report

Organisations interested primarily in making money are very good at quoting just one sentence from the Stewart Report, which supports their case. 

The Federation of the Electronics Industry (FEI)
Press release no: PR2003 11 May 2000
"We particularly welcome Sir William Stewart's confirmation that 'the balance of evidence does not suggest mobile phone technologies put the health of the general population of the UK at risk.”

 Church of England {Extract from 'Radio Aerials and Your Church' - A National Approach November 2000]
“The Stewart Report concluded that the basis of research to date 'does not suggest that emissions from mobile phones and base stations put the health of the UK population at risk”