Press Release
Pressure On Government To Ban Building Near Power Lines As Report Names “Best Available Option”
27 April 2007
Leading children’s cancer charity CHILDREN with LEUKAEMIA welcomes the publication today of the SAGE report, which it feels leaves Government little option but respond immediately with a commitment to substantive precautionary action. The report was officially published simultaneously on the SAGE website and the websites of the 3 funders of the process; the Department of Health, National Grid and CHILDREN with LEUKAEMIA.
The report concludes that a ban on building new homes and schools near power lines is the “best available option” for obtaining a significant reduction in exposure to power frequency EMFs and urges Government to make “a clear decision on whether to implement this option or not”.
The Minister for Public Health, Caroline Flint MP has been under pressure to introduce a moratorium on new building near power lines since the 2005 publication of the Department of Health funded ‘Draper Report’, which found that children who lived within 200 metres of high voltage lines had a 70 per cent higher risk of developing leukaemia than those who lived more than 600 metres away. Ms Flint has said that she would await the publication of the SAGE report and is now under intense pressure to respond with Government plans.
CHILDREN with LEUKAEMIA CEO, Edward Copisarow, said “The principle finding of the report is that Government must now decide whether we are to have substantive precaution - the SAGE process has been successful in determining what precautionary measures are required if we want to save young lives and now the pressure is on Government to implement them."
Copisarow continues “Power lines near homes and schools are a problem – we have to stop the problem getting any worse. We urge Government to issue a planning circular that will prevent power lines and houses and schools being built in close proximity.”
For a full copy of the report from 2pm, 27 April 2007, please go onto www.leukaemia.org or http://www.rkpartnership.co.uk
A full copy of the report has been delivered to Caroline Flint MP, prior to publication. CHILDREN with LEUKAEMIA will be calling for a statement/reaction on Friday 27 April 2007.
CHILDREN with LEUKAEMIA is a funder of the SAGE process (together with the Department of Health and National Grid) which began in November 2004 to examine and report to Government on practical recommendations to adopt a precautionary approach on exposure to electric and magnetic fields.
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