DECISION OF MULTNOMAH COUNTY HEARINGS OFFICER - Community Service (Microwave Transmitter Tower)
Authors not listed · 1980
This 1980 microwave tower application shows how wireless infrastructure expanded into communities before comprehensive health impact studies.
Plain English Summary
This 1980 government document covers an application to operate a microwave transmission tower in Multnomah County, Oregon, requiring a height variance for community service operations. The filing represents the regulatory process for establishing microwave infrastructure during the early expansion of wireless communication systems. While specific technical details aren't available, this document illustrates how microwave transmission facilities were being deployed in populated areas four decades ago.
Why This Matters
This 1980 filing captures a pivotal moment in wireless infrastructure development, when microwave transmission towers were expanding across American communities with minimal public awareness of potential health implications. What makes this particularly relevant today is that these early microwave installations established precedents for placing high-power RF transmitters near residential areas without comprehensive health impact assessments. The reality is that many communities accepted these facilities based primarily on communication benefits, with little consideration of long-term exposure effects on nearby residents.
The science demonstrates that microwave radiation from transmission towers can expose nearby populations to chronic, low-level RF fields. While regulatory agencies focus on acute thermal effects, independent research increasingly shows biological impacts at much lower exposure levels. This 1980 application represents the beginning of our current situation where thousands of similar facilities operate across the country, often grandfathered under older, less protective standards.
Figures from the Original Paper
Diagrams extracted from the original research document.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Study Details
The proposed microwave transmission/reception tower is not found to be hazardous to human health because: (a) The microwave transmissions from the tower will be within the 1200 MHz to 1400 MHz frequency range, which has not been identified as having harmful thermal or non-thermal health effects; (b) The maximum power density from each of the four transmission dishes will be far below the existing interim City of Portland Standard and very likely well below the anticipated U.S. Environmental Protection Agency microwave frequency standard; (c) Compared to the signals from omni-directional radio towers, the microwave signal from the proposed tower will be a very narrow 2 foot wide beam that will minimize population exposure.
Show BibTeX
@article{decision_of_multnomah_county_hearings_officer_community_service_microwave_transm_g5825,
author = {Unknown},
title = {DECISION OF MULTNOMAH COUNTY HEARINGS OFFICER - Community Service (Microwave Transmitter Tower)},
year = {1980},
}