Opinion: The Montgomery County Council faces a defining moment (Letter to Editor of The Washington Post)

This letter appeared in The Washington Post on April 23, 2023 at 1:28 p.m. EDT The Montgomery County Council faces a defining moment as it considers whether to eliminate the Office of the People’s Counsel. Will the council act on its stated values of integrity and inclusion and keep the OPC? As reported in The Post over the past several months, including in the Oct. 24 editorial “A permanent Planning Board” and the Feb. 13 […]

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Rick Meyer Testimony Opposing Bill 18-23 and Urging Council to Fully Fund the Office of the People’s Counsel

Archived News (2023) This post is preserved as part of the public record and historical documentation of community engagement at that time. For broader regulatory and governance context, see: Restore full funding to the statutorily mandated Office of the People’s Counsel (OPC) Testimony of W. E. “Rick” Meyer Public Hearing. Bill 18-23, Structure of County Government – Community Zoning and Land Use Resource Officer April 18, 2023 Watch all of the public testimonies:Montgomery County Council […]

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Cell Tower Application Alert: T Mobile small cells strand mounts coming to Takoma Park

This is just a small sampling of the recent cell tower applications submitted. The following applications have been submitted for Takoma Park: NEW Strand Mounted Antenna Application for corner of Hudson Ave & Flower Ave, Takoma Park  https://montgomerycountytfcg.s3.amazonaws.com/Applications/MC2023042144.pdf (link no longer working on county website), but we found this application document: https://montgomerycountytfcg.s3.amazonaws.com/Applications/MC2023042144+Application+and+Report.pdf NEW Strand Mounted Antenna Application for corner Baltimore Ave & Takoma Ave, Takoma Park  https://montgomerycountytfcg.s3.amazonaws.com/Applications/MC2023042145.pdf (link no longer working on county website), but […]

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Take 1 Minute Action to Strengthen Cell Tower Rules! (By 3/31/23)

20 years ago. March 25, 2003. That was the last time the County updated its rules for reviewing cell tower applications. And the process is notoriously opaque and residents are largely excluded from participating. Thankfully, the County Executive is now proposing to revise these outdated regulations. Click here BEFORE the deadline this Friday, March 31, to urge the County Executive to propose meaningful reform in how the County reviews applications — and bring greater transparency […]

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March 3: CANARY IN A GOLD MINE (Documentary Film and Panel Discussion)

CANARY IN A GOLD MINE Documentary Directed by Jonathan Mirin & Deanna Fleysher An original take on a documentary + panel discussion with the filmmaker & experts on health implications of cellphone usage; + reception Date & Time Fri, March 3, 2023, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM EST Landmark’s E Street Cinema 555 11th Street Northwest Washington, DC 20004 Part of the DC Independent Film Festival’s 24th annual salon collection Tickets at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/canary-in-a-gold-mine-dir-by-jonathan-mirin-deanna-fleysher-documentary-tickets-534502410097

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How the FCC Shields Cellphone Companies From Safety Concerns

by Peter Elkind ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. The health complaints started rolling in within weeks of the activation of a new cellphone tower in August 2020 in Pittsfield, an old factory town in Massachusetts’ Berkshire Mountains. Seventeen residents reported headaches, dizziness, insomnia or confusion. A few children had to sleep with “vomit buckets” by their beds. […]

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Research Spotlight: Paper Titled “Scientific evidence invalidates health assumptions underlying the FCC and ICNIRP exposure limit determinations for radiofrequency radiation: implications for 5G”

In 2022, a peer-reviewed article published in Frontiers in Public Health examined the scientific assumptions underlying current radiofrequency (RF) exposure limits adopted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). The paper, titled “Scientific evidence invalidates health assumptions underlying the FCC and ICNIRP exposure limit determinations for radiofrequency radiation: implications for 5G,” evaluates long-term exposure research, carcinogenicity classifications, and precautionary approaches such as ALARA, raising questions about whether […]

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Montgomery County Medical Society withdraws from MD5G Partnership October 19, 2022, reversing their position on related advocacy efforts for ZTA 22-01

Just days after Councilmember Hans Riemer made this statement “… interesting to note that the Montgomery County Medical Society which is our Premier organization of Physicians has weighed in in favor of passing this zoning text Amendment” the Medical Society announced it had withdrawn from the MD5G Partnership effectively withdrawing its support of the ZTA.

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