Proposed 145-foot Verizon tower on Whidbey Island draws environmental, health and property concerns

The local newspaper Whidbey News-Times reports from a community meeting on a preliminary proposal by Horizon Towers and Verizon for a 145-foot cell tower in Clinton, on Whidbey Island in Washington State. Residents raised environmental concerns about a nearby creek and steep slopes, potential health effects, and property-value losses that one local campaigner put at 10 to 20 percent. The paper notes that federal law bars state and local governments from regulating wireless facilities based on the environmental effects of radiofrequency emissions when the facilities comply with FCC limits. The consultant behind the meeting said feedback will be gathered before a formal application is submitted to Island County.

"If (a cell tower) is in the vicinity of a house, they can count on having 10% to 20% decline in their property value when they actually try to sell their house"

— Mark Wahl, director of the Citizen League of Encouraging Awareness of Radiation, Langley resident

"These companies all want to put all their toys and have 100 things and smart homes and everything else that they can run on 5G from their antennas"

— Mark Wahl, director of the Citizen League of Encouraging Awareness of Radiation, Langley resident

"Federal law prohibits state and local governments from regulating the placement, construction or modification of wireless facilities based on the environmental effects of radiofrequency emissions if the facilities comply with FCC regulations."

— Whidbey News-Times

📡 Proposed 145-foot Verizon tower on Whidbey Island draws environmental, health and property concerns

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