CAMILLO, FLOREN AND GIBBONS SEEK SCHOOL ZONE FOR CELL TOWERS

HARTFORD – Today, legislation to have cell towers not be sited within 750 feet of a school had a public hearing at the State Capitol according to State Reps. Livvy Floren (R-149), Lile Gibbons (R-150), Fred Camillo (R-151).

The bill, House Bill 5504, An Act Concerning Siting Of Cell Phone Towers Near Schools received a public hearing on Thursday March 18th in front of the legislature’s Energy and Technology Committee.

The bill provides that cell towers not be sited within 750 feet of schools. Camillo would also like to include day care centers into the bill. 

In submitted written and oral testimony, Rep. Fred Camillo said, “This issue, however, is one which makes me subscribe to the old adage about being safe rather than sorry. No one can legitimately and reasonably fault this committee or the state legislature for erring on the side of caution. Waiting 20 years for a study to be published linking illness to these cell towers is too much of a risk to take at this time, or at any time.”

“This bill only seeks to put added focus on the safety of children, students, and adults who work in schools and day care centers first when siting cell towers in the vicinity of these venues, Camillo, a member of the Environment Committee, added, “please keep in mind that decades ago we also didn’t have the data or evidence when we were told the same thing by the tobacco industry.”

“I urge the committee to discuss negative health effect with the Connecticut Siting Council and, if necessary, to mandate the Council to disallow a cell tower to be sited next to a school or day care center,” added Rep. Gibbons, in her written testimony.

Rep. Livvy Floren also submitted written testimony in which she stated, “The bill offers a viable, fair, reasonable and cautious compromise.”

Also testifying at the public hearing were Greenwich residents Christopher von Keyserling, Janet Lynn De Luca and Gregory W. Schulte.

In oral testimony, Mr. Keyserling said, “This Bill would not only be fair to the greatest part of your constituency;  Safeguard our children and their educational system; Stabilized real estate values and local tax base; It helps the Connecticut Siting Council by removing one of the main and unnecessary areas of contention from their table.

Janet Lynn De Luca testified that, “This bill strikes a balance between the needs of local wireless users and the interests of residents. It will benefit not only our efforts in Greenwich, but also our neighboring communities state-wide.”

In written testimony Mr. Schulte wrote, “It is incredulous to most if not all of us that this tower can be located so close to a school despite the spirited disapproval of the community, Greenwich Planning & Zoning Commission, Connecticut State Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General and Greenwich First Selectman.”