Unregulated proliferation of mobile antennae / It-tixrid bla kontroll ta'antenni tal-mobiles
English Version
Unregulated Proliferation of Mobile Antennae
Following the recent European Parliament's overwhelming majority vote to shake-up regulations governing mobile base stations and other sources of electromagnetic frequencies, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar (FAA) suggests that it is now time for government, in collaboration with the local mobile operators, to take appropriate action and correct the current unchecked proliferation of these potentially-dangerous EM sources.
FAA has received repeated complaints from worried parents from all over the island, and in spite of repeated assurances from telecommunications companies that these antennae do not pose any danger, their worries seem vindicated by the fact that the MEPs voting in the European Parliament voiced their health concerns very clearly and most specifically over children's and young people’s exposure to these potentially dangerous electromagnetic sources. This was clearly reflected in the European Parliament Resolution highlighting the fact that that every individual is now being exposed to a complex mixture of electric and magnetic fields of different frequencies, both at home and at work, that pose potential health risks, especially to children.
Photo Caption: Increase and multiply; as many as five mobile base stations on a single roof in a built-up residential area
Although the EU Interphone epidemiological study is not yet concluded, the EU Resolution makes a number of recommendations, for example that governments should better protect people living close to transmitters, by setting provisions regarding the distance between a given site and the transmitters, the height of the site in relation to the height of the base station, or the direction of a transmitting antenna in relation to living environments. It calls for optimal placement of masts and transmitters and further calls for the sharing of masts and transmitters placed in this way by providers so as to limit the proliferation of poorly positioned masts and transmitters. Above all the Resolution urges authorities to ensure at least that schools, crèches, retirement homes, and health care institutions are kept clear, within a specific distance determined by scientific criteria, of facilities of this type.
Indeed, the EU resolution on limiting the proliferation of such transmitters is already entrenched in out Structure Plan Policy Ben 13 which states "The Planning Authority will not normally grant permission for the installation of more than one telecommunications antenna or dish where a shared system is possible". This is regrettably being ignored, with mobile phone companies clearly waging open antenna warfare on our rooftops, with some roofs burdened with as many as four separate mobile antennae. FAA refers to a 2006 Malta Communications Authority report indicating over 400 base stations on this small island, which number must have increased considerably, given the market entry of new mobile telephony operators. But despite the country’s high population density, Malta is one of just a handful in European countries that has not carried out any studies on the potential health effects of electromagnetic frequencies.
FAA is confident that proper adherence to Policy Ben 13 in our Structure Plan will lead to fewer base stations, and obligatory antenna-sharing among different mobile companies. This will ultimately lead to lower expenses for the mobile companies involved, which savings should enable lower mobile call pricing structures to the Maltese public, presently paying considerably higher rates than those on mainland Europe.
24.04.09
Verzjoni Maltija
It-tixrid bla kontroll ta'antenni tal-mobiles
Wara li dan l-aħħar il-Parlament Ewropew ivvota b’mod massiċċ biex jitħaddmu r-regolamenti dwar base stations tat-telefonija bil-mobiles u sorsi oħra ta’ frekwenzi elettromanjetiċi, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar (FAA) tistqarr li issa huwa l-waqt għall-gvern, bil-kollaborazzjoni mal-operaturi tas-servizzi tal-mobile lokali, biex jieħu azzjoni xierqa u jrażżan it-tixrid bla kontroll ta’ dawn is-sorsi elettromanjetiċi li tant joffru potenzjal ta’ periklu għas-saħħa.
Mill-inħawi kollha tal-gżira l-FAA irċeviet, u għadhom jaslulha, lmenti mingħand bosta ġenituri mħassbin u minkejja li mhux darba u tnejn saru wegħdiet minn kumpaniji tat-telekomunikazzjoni li dawn l-antenni ma joffru l-ebda periklu, it-tħassib tal-ġenituri jidher li hu fondat minħabba l-fatt li l-Membri tal-Parlament Ewropew, fl-okkażjoni tal-vot li ttieħed, esprimew it-tħassib serju tagħhom b’mod l-aktar ċar, u l-aktar minħabba li t-tfal u z-zgħazagħ qed ikunu esposti għal dawn is-sorsi elettromanjetiċi potenzjalment perikolużi. Dan it-tħassib kien rifless b’mod evidenti fir-Rizoluzzjoni tal-Parlament Ewropew li saħqet fuq il-fatt li kull individwu issa qed isib ruħu espost għal taħlita kumplessa ta’ oqsma elettriċi u manjetiċi ta’ frekwenzi differenti, kemm fuq il-postijiet tax-xogħol u kemm fid-djar, li jippreżentaw potenzjal ta’ riskji għas-saħħa, l-aktar tat-tfal.
Għalkemm l-istudju epidemjoloġiku li l-UE qed tagħmel dwar l-użu tal-mobiles għadu ma tlestiex, ir-Riżoluzzjoni tal-UE tagħmel għadd ta’ rakkomandazzjonijiet bħal, ngħidu aħna, li l-gvernijiet għandhom jipprovdu aktar ħarsien lil persuni li jgħixu viċin transmitters, l-għoli ta’ sit ta’ transmitter meta mqabbel mal-għoli tal-base station, jew id-direzzjoni lejn fejn tkun tħares antenna li titrażmetti, meta mqabbla mal-ambjenti fejn joqgħodu n-nies. Ir-Riżoluzzjoni titlob li l-arbli u it-transmitters jitqegħdu f’inħawi fejn l-anqas joffru perikli, u tirrikmanda wkoll li l-kumpanniji li jipprovdu dawn is-servizzi jaqsmu bejniethom l-użu tal-arbli u l-antenni. B’hekk ikunu evitati l-perikli li joffri t-tixrid ta’ arbli u transmitters imqegħda f’inhawi bla ebda rażan. Fuq kollox, ir-Riżoluzzjoni tħeġġeġ lill-awtoritajiet biex jiżguraw li faċilitajiet ta’ dan it-tip għall-anqas ma jkunux imtella’ fil-viċinanzi ta’ skejjel, istituti tat-tfal, djar għall-anzjani u istituzzjonijiet tas-saħħa. Id-distanza kemm dawn il-faċilitajiet għandhom ikunu bogħod mill-postijiet imsemmija, tkun determinata minn kriterji xjentifiċi.
Tabilħaqq, ir-riżoluzzjoni tal-UE biex ikun limitat it-tixrid ta’ dawn it-transmitters diga’ qegħda mdaħħla f’Policy Ben 13 fil-Politika ta’ Pjan ta’ Struttura tal-MEPA li jgħid: “L-Awtorita’ tal-Ippjanar, f’ċirkustanzi normali, ma tagħtix permess għall-istallazzjoni ta’ aktar minn antenna jew dixx wieħed ghat-telekomunikazzjonijiet kull fejn ikun possibbli li l-użu ta’ dixx jew antenna waħda jinqasam bejn dawk li jipprovdu s-servizz.” B’dispjaċir jingħad li dan qed ikun injorat, b’kumpaniji tal-mobiles jissieltu bejniethom min l-aktar jistalla antenni fuq il-bjut. Fuq ċerti bjut issib installati erba’ antenni tal-mobiles separati! FAA tagħmel riferenza għar-rapport tal-2006 tal-Awtorita’ Maltija tal-Komunikazzjonijiet fejn hemm indikati 400 base stations fuq din id-daqsxejn ta’ gżira. Minn dak iz-zmien l’hawn, dan-numru seta’ żdied sew minħabba li fil-pajjiż tfaċċaw aktar operaturi tat-telefonija bil-mobiles. Imma minkejja d-densita’ tal-popolazzjoni għolja li għandħa, Malta hija biss wieħed minn ftit pajjizi Ewropej li għadha ma għamlet ebda studju dwar il-potenzjal tal-effetti fuq is-saħħa li jħallu l-frekwenzi elettromanjetiċi.
FAA hija fiduċjuża li meta tibda tkun rispettata u implimentata Policy Ben 13 tal-Pjan ta’ Struttura, ikollna anqas base stations, u tagħmilha obbligatorja għall-kumpaniji differenti tal-mobiles li jaqsmu bejniethom l-użu ta’ antenna komuni. Biż-żmien, din is-sistema twassal għal anqas spejjeż għall-kumpaniji tal-mobiles, u l-iffrankar ta’ spejjeż żejda għandu jwassal biex jorħsu t-tariffi tat-telefonija bil-mobile li bħalissa għall-Maltin huma wisq ogħla mir-rati mħallsa fil-bqija tal-pajjiżi tal-Ewropa.
Ritratt: Żdiedu u katru: ħames base stations tat-telefonija bil-mobile fuq l-istess bejt f’zona residenżjali mimlija bini
24.04.2009