Bohemia residents were shaken when letters arrived home Monday, August 4th that the Bohemia Fire Department was considering adding commercial cell phone towers to each of their facilities. The Fire Department sites are located in the middle of a residential neighborhood — one just a few yards away from John Pearl Elementary School, the other a similar distance from Connetquot High School. The Department apparently had the towers in the works for over a year, but the early August mailer was the first most residents had heard of such a proposal. Even with just a few hours’ notice, over 200 residents showed up at a board meeting to voice their concern and displeasure.

We now have to take action and let our voices be heard.

Our concerns:

Property values in the area can reportedly drop anywhere from 2-to-25 percent, and the federal government will not back a new mortgage for a home purchased within a certain radius of the tower.

While some “experts” claim the science is not settled on the health risks, independent studies spanning the globe (most notably Germany and Israel) say that living within 1500 feet of a cell phone increases your risk of cancer by anywhere from 300-400 percent, and countries around the world have banned towers being constructed within that proximity to schools.Cell towers are structurally unsafe, and frequently catch fire and/or collapse.

In addition, falling environmental debris (such as ice) from the height of a tower can cause serious damage to surrounding homes, and result in death if a human being is struck.

For more information, visit keepbohemiasafe.com