Criticism of the proposal to adopt the ICNRP guidelines for cellsites in New Zealand

Abstract

It is proposed to make the New Zealand Standard and Guideline for Cell Site public exposures of Radiofrequency and Microwave Radiation guidelines based on the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) guideline. The ICNIRP guidelines and scientific assessment is published in Health Physics, Vol. 74 (4), p 494-522. This is the primary source document for this critique and will be referred to as ICNIRP 1998. The ICNIRP assessment of effects, ICNIRP (1998) has been review and found to be seriously and fatally flawed, with a consistent pattern of bias, major mistakes, omissions and deliberate misrepresentations. Adopting it fails to protect public health from known potential and actual health effects and hence is unlawful according to the requirements of the Resource Management Act. Public health protection should be the objective of this process and this should be based on the identification of the Lowest Observed Adverse Effect Level, (LOAEL) and a reasonable safety factor to take into account the uncertainties and vulnerable members of the community.