A so-called “wireless communication facility” with more than a dozen antennae could soon be installed on top of a local school, right in the middle of a San Diego neighborhood.
Parents and administrators at the English-French elementary and preschool La Petite Ecole in Clairemont are protesting a proposal by Verizon Wireless to install 16 antennae and a microwave dish on the property.
The city of San Diego says eight of those antennae and the dish would be above the school, while eight other antennae would be above a different part of the building, which also holds a church and a synagogue.
Parents like Jessica Diaz worry the installation could expose kids as young as 2 years old to radiation.
“We have another school right down at the end of the street here, so there are two schools super close. That’s radiation kids don’t need,” said Diaz who lives near the school with her two children.
La Petite Ecole Director Thierry Pasquet said to support the facility, an emergency generator would have to be installed right above were the students eat lunch. The possibility has him concerned about leaks and fumes.
“We don’t want to end up with the same case as asbestos for instance,” said Pasquet. “Thirty years later, they discover that, 'OK, oh really, it’s a health issue.'”
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Sprint and T-Mobile already have a total of nine antennae on the property.
According to the city of San Diego, its regulations encourage carriers to consider industrial and commercial areas first, so it’s harder to get permits for residential zones.
The panel antennae and microwave dish will be concealed behind radio-frequency transparent screening, which is designed to integrate the facility into the rest of the building, the city says.
Verizon Wireless responded to NBC 7’s request for comment with the following statement:
“As you may be aware, there are already two wireless carriers on this particular site, which we understand have been there for well over a decade.
“We continue our work to provide San Diegans the coverage and capacity they deserve and expect. As part of that work, we undertake a lengthy and rigorous approval process with the City of San Diego which includes, among other things, a public hearing. We are committed to complying with all building and safety requirements of the City of San Diego, the State of California and federal law.”
The company did not comment on the concerns over radiation.
A radiation expert told NBC 7 there is not enough conclusive data on long-term radiation exposure from facilities like this to determine if they are harmful to health, but the expert acknowledges the idea worries scientists.
Sharp Healthcare medical physicist Bette Blankenship said in 2009, the Federal Communciations Commission ruled that local governments cannot regulate placement of cellphone towers, but the FCC-allowable radiation exposure rate is a lot higher than in other countries.
"People are concerned with the most sensitive group: children," said Blankenship.
La Petite Ecole administrators, in the meantime, have placed notices on neighbors’ doors, urging people to take a stand against the cell antennae at a community meeting scheduled for Dec. 5 at 6 p.m. The meeting will be at 3219 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard.
