Health & Fitness
Engel says New Canaan Citizens Not Split on Cell Phone Safety
Republican candidates for Selectman talk about cell coverage in town. Dropped calls are an important health and safety issue. Here's my position and a link to my opponent's.
In this week's New Canaan News both candidates for Selectman were asked about cell phone coverage in town. What follows is my answer as well as a link to my opponent's
Question: As with many issues, people in town are split regarding cell phone signal and cell towers. Parents fear more cell towers in town would risk the health of children and others through radiation. Studies exist that support both sides of the issue saying the radiation is and is not a risk. On the other hand, some officials and supporters of cell towers say New Canaan needs better signal, especially in emergency situations like during the March 2010 Storm. Where do you stand on this issue?
Answer: People in town are not "split regarding cell phone signal." In a town-wide survey, over 90 percent of citizens of New Canaan responded that cellphone coverage is poor and that dropped calls are a major health and safety issue for our town. Forty-five people reported their 911 calls have been dropped. The town promised they were meeting with the carriers last year. What has been done? The recent false start at the West School location in which the Board of Selectmen approved an easement to access water company land only to find angry opposition at the Town Council meeting and subsequent withdrawal by Verizon is ample evidence that we do not have a process in place for identifying the best, safest sites and moving forward on them in a rational, scientific way. We are a town that prides itself on being safe and technologically advanced. Cellphone usage is a fact of life. We must agree as a community on the criteria for what makes a good site and put a process in place to make decisions, evaluate sites against objective criteria, and then invite carriers to help us move forward in New Canaan. I pledge my support to achieving this goal.
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To see how my opponent answered this question, go here.