An open letter to my congressional representatives regarding the Navy’s plans to build six radio communication towers close to my home in Maryland

Could you talk to the Navy and find the answers to our questions, please?

By Pat Elder
March 2, 2022

Photo©sasha85ru/123.rf

On August 13, 2021, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled in the historic case EHT et al. v. the FCC that the December 2019 decision by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to retain its 1996 safety limits for human exposure to wireless radiation was “arbitrary and capricious.”  The court held that the FCC failed to respond to “record evidence that exposure to RF radiation at levels below the Commission’s current limits may cause negative health effects unrelated to cancer.”

Dear Rep. Hoyer, Sen. Van Hollen, and Sen. Cardin,

I have lots of questions about the Navy’s plans to build six 150’ tall radio frequency towers across the creek from my house and I want you to make sure I get the answers. 

See the Navy’s press release  dated January 19, 2022. Navy Plans Webster Field Tower Project  https://lexleader.net/navy-plans-webster-field-tower-project/

No one in our Rosecroft community directly across from St. Inigoes Creek knew about these plans until last week, even though St, Mary’s Commissioner Todd Morgan, (R) told me this has been in the works for 5 years.

This is one hell of a way to treat us!

People sleeping in homes with windows facing antennas suffer the highest exposures of radio frequency radiation.  Many governments and local jurisdictions have halted the placement of cell towers and cell antennae near schools and residences because of the higher density of radiation in close vicinity to cell antennas.  See more from Environmental Health Trust.

I have solicited questions from community members regarding the request by Craig Lukezic, Cultural Resource Manager, Naval Air Station Patuxent River and I have submitted them to Mr. Lukezic and Public Information Officer, Patrick Gordon.

Some of my neighbors are concerned about the impact of the towers on their health and the potential for environmental damage.   

The proposed towers are to be located on the Webster Field Annex of the Patuxent River Naval Air Station, shown above, south of St. Inigoes Creek, where it empties into the St. Mary’s River.  I live where the blue dot is located, approximately 1,600’ across the creek from the base.

Here are the questions we have:

• What is being proposed?

• Where are the drawings and designs of the towers?

• Is there a map of where these towers will be located?

• What is the process?

• Will there be a vote?

• Is an entity okaying this?

• Which entity?

• Has an environmental impact statement been done, looking at impacts to birds?

• What will the impact be on property values? Has this been assessed?

• If I am on my dock, 1,600 feet from the shores of Webster Field, can you provide an estimate of the specific absorption rate of radiofrequency energy (SAR) in watts per kilogram from each tower?

• If I’m in my boat, cruising along the shores of Webster Field in St. Inigoes Creek, across from my property, can you provide an estimate of the SAR from each tower?

• Have you performed studies that estimate the levels of radio frequency radiation from the types of towers you are constructing? If so, could you share them with us?

• If you have not performed a study, are you willing to commission a study in this regard and share the results with us?

• What frequency ranges will the Navy be using at each of the six towers?

• Is the Navy willing to submit to civilian authority in this matter?

• Could you describe for us the exact type of stations you are planning to build?

• What are the design characteristics of the antennas being used?

• How much power will be transmitted to the antennas?

• Can you provide the amount of RF energy generated at each tower in terms of increments of 100 feet heading north toward the Rosecroft community?

• Could you provide this information for each tower?

• Is there a potential for radio frequency interference with our communication equipment such as radios, TVs, wireless, cell phones, garage door openers, etc.?

• What is the Navy doing to ensure RFI does not occur?

• Is there a project test plan that addresses RFI and RF human exposure issues?

• If groundwater is encountered through the construction pross of the towers, what kinds of remediation strategies will you employ to clean the water that may be disturbed before discharge into St. Inigoes Creek or the St. Mary’s River?

• Can you provide a list and the concentrations of all of the toxic chemicals found in the groundwater at Webster Field?

• In the case of PFAS, how will you “dispose” of the GAC filters if they are used to extract PFAS?

Could you contact the Naval command on my behalf and find the answers to all of these questions?

Thank you,
Pat Elder
St. Mary’s City, MD