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Digicel cell tower rejected by residents

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In recent days the plight of residents of Olive Lodge Road, Holder’s Hill has been a topic of concern because of the placement of a DIGICEL cell tower in the locale.

It is reprehensible government’s Telecommunications Unit and the telecommunications company DIGICEL would collaborate to place a cell tower in close proximity to residents without proper consultation in order to assuage concerns. More and more we have been witnessing the encroachment on the rights of citizens by public and private sector entities. It must stop!

Both the Telecommunication Unit and DIGICEL have issued statements in today’s press to explain remedial action taken and to outline next steps, however, residents are adamant Olive Lodge Road is a poor choice of location for the cell tower and it must be relocated.

What is the process that would have led to the cell tower placed in the small neighbourhood of Olive Lodge Road without consultation with residents by DIGICEL and government?

There is enough scientific information published about the possible radiobiological effects of non-ionizing radiation to support at minimum an educational program with resident.

See the following article published in the National Library of Medicine with the title – Radiobiological effects and medical applications of non-ionizing radiation.

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66 responses to “Digicel cell tower rejected by residents”

  1. David Avatar
    David

    Tower must go!

    Residents not backing down

    by ANESTA HENRY RESIDENTS OF OLIVE LODGE ROAD, Holders Hill, St James are not backing down in the Digicel cell tower matter.

    Yesterday, during a meeting, more than 30 outraged residents made it clear that the tower placed on a small vacant plot in the community on January 8 without their knowledge must go.

    In today’s edition of the DAILY NATION Digicel and the regulatory agency, the Telecommunications Unit, have ads addressing the matter.

    The residents also expressed disgust that even though invited, officials from the Ministry of Industry, Innovation, Science and Technology and Digicel did not attend the meeting.

    Dr Jennifer Obidah-Alleyne, who is leading the protest against the permanent Digicel cell tower in the area, told her aggrieved neighbours that both entities had agreed to send representatives to the meeting, but by last Friday they declined.

    “Both the chief executive officer of Digicel [Natalie Abrahams] and the Minister in charge of technology Marsha Caddle have asked us for leniency and to meet Digicel in the middle. But I say to them publicly, where was the leniency offered to our community?

    “To date, Digicel has never offered an apology to the residents of Olive Lodge Road for unceremoniously putting up a cell tower on a plot of land surrounded by residential homes on three sides – a cell tower that, before last Friday, was operating off generators spewing diesel fumes.

    “Digicel never talked to residents, never sent out a letter or bulletin regarding the tower. They still owe us an apology for such disrespect,” Obidah-Alleyne said.

    She revealed that last week, an electrical pole was erected to which the cell tower was connected, [bringing an end to] the diesel fumes from the generators and the noise pollution.

    However, Obidah-Alleyne insisted that for 33 days the generators with their toxic fumes were running 24 hours in a community with a significant population of senior citizens who were home all day.

    “We have yet to know the health ramifications of this exposure on these residents. Dangerously, the quiet of the cell tower has become more ominous than the loud noise of the generators because that quiet, along with the erection of an electric pole, signals a total disregard for the request of the residents of Olive Lodge to remove the tower, and it appears that they intend to leave the cell tower where it is,” she said.

    Obidah-Alleyne indicated that while she was informed by Digicel’s management that the cell tower and electrical pole were temporary, she was yet to receive her requested letter reinforcing that point.

    Residents, she said, were not pleased that instead of representatives from the Ministry of Energy visiting the area to speak to residents, employees from Digicel did.

    “Where are our Government representatives that we hope would give us an unbiased report of the residents’ views? Instead, they are relying on Digicel to say what the residents think of Digicel,” she said.

    Last week, the MIDWEEK NATION reported that an official in the Ministry of Industry, Innovation, Science and Technology disclosed that while Digicel submitted an application to the Town and Country Planning Department for a cell tower it was not for that particular spot “but one nearby”.

    In today’s ad, the Telecommunications Unit said that Digicel had indicated that a temporary but urgent solution was needed to avoid a disruption in service to 2 500 residents and 25 businesses in the area but since the cell tower was a change of use from residential to commercial for more than a 28-day period, approval must be requested from the Planning and Development Department. The cell on wheels tower has been moved to within the proposed 20 metres from the nearest residence.

    “We acknowledge that need to continuously pursue economic and infrastructural development to improve the quality of services to all residents . . . . This must and will be balanced with the engagement of all citizens to receive their feedback and, in so doing, help secure their well-being,” the unit stated.

    Meanwhile, Digicel in its ad said that upon receiving the complaint on February 19, it reached out to those affected and later the Barbados Light & Power, which responded quickly to provide commercial power, thereby eliminating the need for the generator.

    After successive engagement with the Telecommunications Unit, the company said, it had complied with all that was asked of it in the current location, operating at or below the five per cent non-ioning radiation protection of international standards.

    Former St James Central Democratic Labour Party candidate Paul Gibson described the erection of the cell tower so close to homes as disgusting and inhumane.


    Source: Nation

  2. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    @ David
    Question : Do you denote an increase in citizen activism ?

  3. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    The human health dangers of cell phone towers as far as electromagnetic pulses emissions are comcerned have been long known.

    However, the visceral protest by an active American aviator in Washington will be less so.

    That that pilot would self immulate by burning indeed follows a long history of resistance to war.

    We well recall a Bhuddust monk doing this during the Vietnam War.

    We also recall a Quaker burning himself more instantly than what happens when cellphone towers emit electromagnetic pulses.

    Of course, the most recent and proficious self immulation was done by the Tunisian, Mohammad Bousisi, which was seen, wrongly arguably, as the beginning of the Islamlic Awakening or the Arab Uprising.

    As it ends up, Hugo Chaves was right, weee were wrong. For the machinations of the Arabs were no more than a CIA plot.

    That this is happening in Washington in response to the Gaza Genocide is both unlikely to influence the blood curdling intents of the Genocide Joe criminal regime or those within the colonial outpost in Palestine.

    Palestinians, whose cellphone towers have been destroyed. Maybe a bigger burning becomes necessary, even if insufficient.

  4. Margaret Avatar
    Margaret

    I support the concerns of the residents. Most of the research was funded by the telecoms companies and is inconclusive. The jury is still out on the impact of non ionizing radiation on the human DNA, thus who wants to be bombarded with such rf 24×7 365 days. Even my Wi-Fi is at 50% and turns off at certain hours.

    The telecoms unit also needs to publish the emission data of all towers as required by government which are no longer published.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8616186/

    ” Absorption of Non-Ionising Radiation (UVR)
    Molecules or regions of molecules that absorb UVR are referred to as UV chromophores. Biological systems are rich in UV chromophores, including DNA and some amino acid residues [38]. In DNA, the nucleotides thymine and cytosine absorb UVB to become electronically excited [39,40]. In proteins, the amino acid residues tyrosine (Tyr), tryptophan (Trp) and cystine (double-bonded cysteine) absorb UVR from sunlight [41,42], with an absorbance peak at 280 nm for Tyr and Trp and lower for cystine [43,44]. For Tyr and Trp, their benzene ring structure facilitates an electronic transition from the ground state to the singlet excitation state that requires photons in the UVB region (180–270 nm) [45,46]. The excited chromophores can then transfer their energy or donate an electron to O2, forming several reactive oxygen species (ROS) [16,47,48]. The excess energy can cleave intermolecular bonds, such as disulphide bonds, or facilitate the formation of pyrimidine dimers in DNA [49,50].

    UVR damage in biological organisms is largely mediated indirectly via the photodynamic production of unstable ROS [51]. UVR exposure generates ROS via the reaction between the excited UV chromophores and molecular oxygen (O2) [2] (Figure 2). In brief, the excited UV chromophore reacts with O2 to produce, through electron transfer, either a superoxide anion radical (O2−) or singlet oxygen (1O2) through energy transfer. Superoxide dismutases, which are present in the cell [52] and the ECM [53], convert O2− into hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). In the presence of Fe(II), H2O2 undergoes the Fenton reaction to generate hydroxyl radicals (HO·) [2,54]. The cellular effects of both 1O2 and HO· are well studied [47,49,54]. Intracellular ROS have been shown to react with and cause damage to both proteins and DNA [55,56].”

    Objectivity,

  5. Margaret Avatar
    Margaret

    Am I the only person who is sensing a level of militancy and restlessness among docile bajans? There is a serious undercurrent of disgust for government and institutions of government.

  6. FearPlay Avatar
    FearPlay

    When a civil approach does not result in the desired outcome…….One wonders how the people of France or Germany would handle a similar situation. I suppose with our deep rooted conditioning ingrained through the indoctrination of slavery, that response would be too much to expect. However, before cameras are installed, you the brave, know what to do.

  7. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    @ David
    Do you denote an increase in citizen activism ?

  8. Terence M Blackett Avatar
    Terence M Blackett

    WHILE FOLKS ARE WORRIED ABOUT 4G & 5G – 6G IS HERE ACCORDING TO SOME

    #ElonMusk “TESLA” phone, rumoured to be called Model Pi or P, will have “UPLINK SATELLITE TECH FEATURES” that will work in concert with his “STARLINK” internet system – features including: Solar Charging; Astrophotography; Crypto-Mining & Neuralink Support – “FULLY 6G” with all that entails…

    6G will bypass #UplinkSatelliteTechnology!!!

    This tech will have the “QUANTUM” capacity that satellite systems will not be able to match given that the performance target is likely to be 10 GIGABITS* per second to each mobile terminal in a ultra high speed Japanese bullet train moving at some 500 km/h, which you’re just not going to be able to do at scale from an orbital base…

    5G will become almost obsolete in the face of such technology but what is even scarier is the push to get to 10G tech and the “FIRST ONES” there will be #gods (#Small_g)!!!

    A DEBATE ON QUANTUM MECHANICS; QUANTUM PHYSICS & QUANTUM COSMOLOGICAL SCIENCE – ALL RIBBON WRAPPED FOR GOOD MEASURE!!!

    Musk’s Starlink satellite program already being used in the Ukraine against Russia as vast swathes of open borders exist where there are no cell-towers, or fibre optics cabling that would enable internet capabilities…

    So the argument is that #CellPhoneRadiation is about 1/2 watt, while #WIFI is about 1/10 watt, which is probably the strongest electro-magnetic wave in residential neighbourhoods…

    Amateur Radio Operators in the USA and in Barbados (my brother-in-law being one of them) are allowed to have #RadioWaves up to 1500 watts, which is 15,000 times more than typical WIFI and about twice as much as a typical microwave oven which is housed inside of a metal case…

    Some argue that we will be busy with 5G for another decade or so, stating that no coverage, only so-called #NonStandaloneGNodeB, that sees only half of the standard completed…

    The 3GPP standard R15 from 2018 needed to be complemented by R16 (out 2019) and R17 (out 2022/2023) before a full 5G standard can be achieved – this can be evaluated by any #TelecomEngineer at #FLOW_Barbados or #DIGICELL_Barbados…

    So unless “ELON MUSK” has received “INTER-DIMENSIONAL BLUEPRINTS” from the “ANNUNAKI” regarding his “6G TECH” – one can safely deduce that we could expect towards the end of 2029- 30 to see this next level of quantum speed in telecommunications where “AI PORTALS” will do the work of “CELL-TOWERS” & what will be other obsolete pieces of technological hardware…

    But who is to say??? He has already begun clinical trials with his “BRAIN IMPLANT” – #Neuralink, with amazing results thus far… So anything is possible in these apocalyptic years of earth’s history – “for men will run to & fro AND KNOWLEDGE SHALL BE INCREASED…”

  9. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    David

    Again, read and research before writing. What should have been the government’s consultative role? You need to stop misleading the public. Where in Barbados are other towers erected?

  10. David Avatar
    David

    @Enuff

    So not care about where other towers are located. We are dealing with the one being protested against. Deal with it!

  11. Redguard Avatar
    Redguard

    You are “bombarded” all the time by non-ionizing radiation and nothing happens to you or your DNA. Do you even understand what it means to be non-ionizing. Where is Dr. GP when you need him. You are clearly a science illeterate he speaks of. EM radiation is all around us, its spectrum includes x-rays, gamma rays, visible light, microwaves, infrared, UV light, Cellphone and FM radio. Cellphones towers do not emit ultra violet radiation. EM radiation from cellphones falls between FM radio and microwaves. For context visible light is closer to UVR than cell phone radiation, are you concerned with being bombarded by light from your tv. Stay in your lane, go protest about sea turtles are animal cruelty and

  12. Redguard Avatar
    Redguard

    There is no science that supports these protesters, they have zero standing. Marsha was right not to meet with them. I’ll bet the chosen means of communication they used to organise this protest was cellphones.

  13. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    David
    You’re not listening. Isn’t your intent to educate and inform? If so, what was government’s consultative role? Who, how, when etc?

  14. David Avatar
    David

    Enuff the telecommunications unit is not an arm of government?

  15. David Avatar
    David

    A few years ago when Mottley led street protests and delivered petitions she expected to be treated with respect. Knowing the representative of the residents planned to deliver the petition and no reasonable arrangement made to accommodate smacks of arrogant behaviour.

    Residents submit cell tower petition

    by ANESTA HENRY RESIDENTS OF OLIVE LODGE ROAD, Holders Hill, St James, who are protesting against the permanent placement of a Digicel cell tower in their community, yesterday delivered a petition signed by more than 100 of them to the Ministry of Industry, Innovation, Science and Technology (MIST).

    However, Dr Jennifer Obidah-Alleyne, who is leading the protest action, told the DAILY NATION she was disappointed that an official from the ministry, based at Baobab Tower, Warrens, St Michael, was not present to accept the document signed by 123 people representing 67 of the approximately 70 houses in the district.

    “It feels disrespectful, frankly, because I made all the necessary calls requesting that someone in power be there to receive our petition. Instead, we were received by a secretary who had no idea that we were coming. So I find it disrespectful, especially today when this ministry puts an ad in the NATION newspaper saying they are working with transparency and care and support of the Barbadian community. This does not feel in any way supportive and this does not feel transparent nor respectful,” she said.

    Obidah-Alleyne said yesterday morning she sought to inform officials at the ministry that she intended to deliver the petition around 3 p.m.

    However, she said she received a call around 11:13 a.m. from Permanent Secretary Marva Howell urging her to hand over the petition to Deputy Permanent Secretary Joyanne Blackman-Jarvis if Minister of Industry, Innovation, Science and Technology Marsha Caddle was not in office when she arrived.

    Obidah-Alleyne said Howell also notified her that she would be out of office until 2 p.m.

    “I subsequently called her secretary who told me that she [Howell] is unavailable, the deputy permanent secretary is also unavailable and that I should leave the document with the minister’s secretary June Henry. As you can see, when we arrived there [Ms] Henry had no idea she was supposed to receive it and was in fact reluctant to receive it. She did in the end take it from us but she refused to have her picture taken by the NATION. But, the struggle continues,” she said.

    Removal

    The academic was accompanied by her neighbour Matrina Gibson when she delivered the petition for the immediate removal of the tower from its location on a residential plot surrounded by homes occupied primarily by the elderly.

    The petition outlined that studies reported in the journals of the American Medical Association, Applied Physics and the Canadian National Research Council each document the adverse and biological effects of radio frequencies emitted by cell phone towers on people living less than 164 feet from the towers. These effects include cardiovascular problems, skin complaints, fatigue, sleep disturbance, memory loss, visual disruptions, depression, dizziness and increases in cancer risk.

    It stated: “International regulations stipulate a distance between 164 feet and a quarter of a mile away from residential homes where these towers should be located. This tower in Olive Lodge Road is only 30 feet away from the nearest home. We demand its immediate removal.”

    In an advertisement in yesterday’s DAILY NATION, the Telecommunications Unit of the ministry said Digicel had indicated that a temporary but urgent solution was needed to avoid disruption in service to 2 500 residents and 25 businesses in the area. However, since the cell tower was a change of use from residential to commercial for more than a 28-day period, approval must be requested from the Planning and Development Department.

    The ad also stated that the cell on wheels tower had been moved to within the proposed 20 metres from the nearest residence.

    Meanwhile, in a separate ad in the same edition, Digicel stated that after successive engagement with the Telecommunications Unit, it had complied with all that was asked of it in the current location, operating at or below the five per cent non-ioning radiation protection.

    Source: Nation

  16. GreenMonkey Avatar
    GreenMonkey

    I think the evidence is showing that some people are more sensitive to RF radiation and at a higher risk of suffering noticeable health consequences than others when living or working in close proximity to cell towers and simirlar RF sources. The question is if those with RF sensitivities could be the “canaries in the coals mines” for the rest of us who might appear unaffected initially but suffer consequences with long term exposure.

    Exclusive: Woman Living Near Cell Tower Diagnosed With 51 Strokes
    In an interview with The Defender, Marcia Haller detailed how her life dramatically changed when a cell tower 900 feet from her home was “upgraded.” Haller notified the telecom companies operating the tower that she plans to sue under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

    Extract:
    On March 3, 2020, they and their son moved into Marcia’s parents’ house a mile further away from the tower. Marcia “got a lot better,” she said. The strokes stopped.

    By June, she was talking about returning to school, Jay said. “We’d go fishing every night and she just had a lot more energy.”

    Around the same time, Marcia’s doctors at the Mayo Clinic had Marcia taking pill chemotherapy. “So they’re patting themselves on the back for the chemo,” Jay said, “I think it was moving that made it stop.”

    But in October 2020, Marcia’s parents returned so Jay, Marcia and their son moved back to their house close to the tower.

    In just a week, Marcia started experiencing the same symptoms again.

    Building the ‘penalty box’

    Jay and Marcia became more convinced that the RF radiation from the tower was making Marcia sick.

    Oct. 16, 2020, they hired Frank DiCristina — a certified building biologist and certified EMR specialist — to measure the wireless radiation levels throughout their home.

    DiCristina’s report showed peaks of up to 18 microwatts per squared centimeter (mW/cm2) — which is 18 times higher than what the Standard of Building Biology considers the “extreme limit,” noted DiCristina in the report.

    Marcia and Jay loved the location of their home and didn’t want to move. So they set about making their property more livable for Marcia.

    In late October 2020, Jay constructed a Faraday cage — an enclosure with metal lining that blocks out all RF radiation — to give Marcia a place of relief from the radiation.

    Having a space free of RF radiation has made a big difference in Marcia’s well-being.

    SNIP

    Marcia and Jay also said they’ve witnessed animals affected by the tower’s radiation. Their dog, Daisy, developed fatty tumors throughout her body that limited her mobility and quality of life to the point that Marcia and Jay had to put her down.

    “The deer definitely have these tumors like the dog did,” Jay said. “Not every deer, but some of the deer.”

    When Marcia and Jay tell others about their experiences, people tend to “just kind of brush it off” and say, “That’s not going to happen to me or to anybody I know besides you guys.”

    But “we’re not the only ones out there that this is happening to,” Marcia said.

    Although estimates vary, a 2019 analysis suggested that 1.5% of the population experience severe symptoms from exposure to RF radiation, 5% have moderate symptoms and 30% have mild symptoms.

    That means roughly 2.16-99.7 million Americans are likely affected.

    Marcia and Jay recently shared their story on CHD.TV.

    Link to article (includes an embedded video of interview with Marcia and Jason Haller):
    https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/marcia-haller-cell-tower-rf-radiation-sickness/

  17. 555dubstreet Avatar
    555dubstreet

    Age and Cancer
    when people get old they will all have some form of cancer in their cells which may or may not be fatal*

    (*) words of my father

  18. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    move it

    https://barbadostoday.bb/2024/02/27/olive-lodge-folk-say-only-solution-is-for-cell-tower-to-go/

  19. Peer Reviewed Avatar
    Peer Reviewed

    @redcard, you are talking hobbies anonymously which shows ignorance. Man made ref is not the same. Have you never heard of persons having different dna structures. Your type should have had to pay for education for you lack critical thinking and objective analysis. https://icbe-emf.org/key-issues/scientific-papers/

  20. Another Resident Avatar
    Another Resident

    Non ionizing radio cannot be safe as its man made and the constant bombarded dna of humans who are biological electrical beings cannot ever be safe from the cumulative impact. Ask any ham radio operator about SAR and studies. Covid should teach us about academic dishonesty. WHO FUNDD THE MAJOR STUDIES? See article https://icbe-emf.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Highlights-Background-FINAL.pdf

  21. Another Resident Avatar
    Another Resident

    @David, I find the telecommunication unit of government suspect for they refuse to share the readings of cell towers across the island as required by law

  22. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    It must be the free food in Parliament that affects these shiite politicians and causes them to become so arrogant and uncaring.

    Passing strange that quickly after going around BEGGING for endorsement, votes, and PROMISING to be caring, they ALL end up with this COCKY attitude that ALWAYS happens to side with the albino-centric interests in society….

    If not the free food…. what then?
    Can it be the dough?

    At the VERY LEAST, these ‘Judases and Delilahs’ could PRETEND to listen to concerns – after all, mere promises have been providing comfort to brass bowls now for years…

  23. David Avatar
    David

    @Bush Tea

    There is a reason why history repeats itself.

  24. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    “Enuff the telecommunications unit is not an arm of government?”

    But what is their role in the approval process? Consult with residents?

  25. David Avatar
    David

    @Enuff

    The telecommunications unit consults with the telco, Digicel in this case?

  26. David Avatar
    David

    @William

    Yes but it must be stated a lot of it is rabble rousing.

  27. David Avatar
    David

    The resident doctor representing this matter is very articulate on the matter. Why are members of officialdom including the minister hiding from residents?

  28. 555dubstreet Avatar
    555dubstreet

    Perhaps Barbados, is still a white run nation behind the scenes in terms of big money business shadows influencing the politician puppets.

  29. Dame Bajans Avatar
    Dame Bajans

    In Canada a cell tower has to be a minimum of 400 metres from a residential area and 300 from a hospital or educational institution.

  30. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    @ Dame B

    Dat is Canada.! …..Different standards apply when applied to brass bowls….

    Digicel should be REQUIRED to install a tower outside Wilfred’s window….

  31. David Avatar
    David

    @Bush Tea

    Digicel appears to have received approval from the Telecommunications Unit?

  32. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    The fact that a diesel powered, toxic fumes emitting, noise polluting generator was placed smack bang in the middle of a residential area without even a word to residents should end this debate.

    I am no expert on highfalutin’ radiation, but I am an expert on diesel fumes. The mini buses that pass on the road have caused me to keep one of my windows closed for years, only opening it after they stop running to let the room breathe. Those fumes used to run all through my house and make me feel nauseous.

    And I live in a gap. Not even on the main road. But he wind comes off the Atlantic strong in my direction.

    As for the noise, my neighbour runs his little generator when the electricity goes off. There is enough land between our houses for another large house. And yet, the noise from his dissuaded me from getting one of my own.

    The powers that be KNEW there would be toxic fumes and disrupting noise. This tells us all that we need to know.

    Which “scientific illiterate” will now trust them on the effects or non-effects of cell phone tower radiation?

    Not a good way to gain trust and allay fears, is it? You cannot blame the people for wanting it removed.

    Sigh!

  33. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    LOL@ David
    You playing that you don’t know…!!!

    NAME ANY STATE AGENCY (besides the Auditor General as currently populated) with the balls to deny AUTOMATIC approval for ANYTHING that comes from a Minister, (or his wife) or (GOD FORBID) from the Empress or a relative of hers…

    LOL
    Most don’t even have the balls to deny ‘Ninja Man’ or a basic ZR driver….
    because they have been mostly constituted WITHOUT balls….

    Isaiah 3….
    Woe to the wicked!
    Disaster is upon them!
    They will be paid back
    for what their hands have done.

    Mere children oppress my people,
    women rule over them.
    My people, your leaders lead you astray;
    they turn you from the path.
    (…and your ass to the grass)

  34. David Avatar
    David

    It appears the Nation is the only actor laughing (all the way to the bank).

    https://barbadosunderground.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/olive-road-digicel-436×1024.png

  35. David Avatar
    David

    @Donna and Bush Tea

    The simple point continues to elude Enuff.

  36. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Freundel was a woman? Owen was a woman? If Freundel had his way, a cell phone tower hazard would have been dwarfed by Cahill.

    And as for Owen, isn’t he the one blamed for selling off the family jewels? Or was that his wife, Juliette?

    Who was ruling in Freundel’s glory years? He didn’t even have a wife!

    Misogynistic Bible bullshit written by MEN to suit themselves.

  37. 555dubstreet Avatar
    555dubstreet

    Perhaps the “Misogynistic Bible bullshit written by MEN to suit themselves”, was written because Men needed social laws and rules on how to control their women in the same way the Slave Code Bible was produced to control slaves.

    Men are frightened by strong women in the same way, whites fear strong blacks… white men are afraid of black men taking their women etc. etc.

  38. Escaping the asylum Avatar
    Escaping the asylum

    Geez.
    It looks as if I am unable to contribute anything to these fraudulent discourses. Unable to watch chefs holding their noses as they discuss how to cook the rotten carcass.

    Seriously, I have dwelt in this nightmarish world for too long. I have tried to break the hallucinatory spell and was unable to do so. I will make one last attempt.

    Goodbye. Goodbye 000; perhaps your giant spliffs are what make this a real world for you. Goodbye

  39. David Avatar
    David

    Caddle: Digicel not given permission

    If planning permission is not granted, the cell on wheels tower that is the centre of a battle between telecoms provider Digicel and residents of Olive Lodge Road, Holders Hill, St James, will have to be removed.

    Minister of Industry, Innovation, Science and Technology (MIST) Marsha Caddle told the Saturday Sun yesterday that Digicel did not have permission to erect the tower and only started that process last week.

    She said the proper procedures for anyone who wants to establish a cell tower was to apply for planning permission.

    “There may have been some confusion on the part of the utility because of the cell on wheels being temporary, whether a planning commission is required. What normally obtains is that a planning commission is sought and the Planning and Development Department (PDD) reaches out to MIST and also the Ministry of Health and Wellness.

    “So the PPD is the responsible agent of the placement of towers,” she said, adding checks revealed Digicel was required to apply for planning permission.

    “They did start that application last week. If the planning approval is not granted, the cell tower will have to be removed.”

    Caddle said it was now a retention application because the structure was already placed there.

    “I spoke to the Member of Parliament for the area, Kerrie Symmonds, who was out of the island on Government business. He asked me to make sure the people of the area were not being taken advantage of and I gave him my commitment. I also conferred with Minister William Duguid (Senior Minister with responsibility for Planning and Infrastructure) for us to have a way forward.”

    A paid advertisement in yesterday’s Weekend Nation on behalf of the residents of Olive Lodge Road posed several questions of Caddle, chief executive officer of Digicel Natalie Abrahams, the Telecommunications Unit and PDD over the Digicel tower.

    Residents were up in arms over the location and the impact of emissions from the tower that was placed on January 18. They also cited noise pollution, diesel fumes and the close proximity to homes.

    Digicel has stated that it has followed all rules and protocols.

    Caddle said that after speaking to all the parties involved, the tower was moved further away from the location and the emissions were addressed.

    “Last week we did some testing and we used international benchmarks. We were satisfied that the emissions never go above five per cent of that benchmark. The issues that remained are really the purview of the Planning and Development Department.”

    She suggested a town hall meeting where both parties can thrash out the issue.

    “The applicant would normally have a responsibility to engage with the community. That would usually be through a town hall meeting. So I would advise the applicant to engage in that town hall meeting. The PDD would attend to offer technical support.”

    She said she would also await the outcome of the process of the application review. (NS)

    Source: Nation

  40. Redguard Avatar
    Redguard

    Non ionizing radio cannot be safe as its man made and the constant bombarded dna of humans who are biological electrical beings cannot ever be safe from the cumulative impact.

    What gibberish!! Visible light is also non-ionizing radiation you idiot.

  41. David Avatar
    David

    We should remain focused on the issue at hand. By moving the mobile cell tower Digicel management and relevant government authorities have conceded they overstepped established boundaries.

  42. David Avatar
    David

    Our newly minted leader of the Oppostion reaching out to the people.

    Cell tower must go!

    Olive Lodge Road folk ready to march

    by TRE GREAVES

    tregreaves@nationnews.com

    RESIDENTS OF OLIVE LODGE ROAD are prepared to protest if the Digicel cell tower in their community is not removed.

    They stood firm in their position yesterday as the movement generated more support, including backing from Opposition Leader Ralph Thorne who visited the Holders Hill, St James district yesterday evening.

    Dr Jennifer Obidiah-Alleyne, the group’s spokesperson, made their intention clear as they pointed out how close the cell tower was located to homes in the closely-knit area.

    “Their rules state it’s supposed to be at least 65 feet away from any residence. The current tower is 40 feet. It was 15 feet before but they moved it a little bit closer to another resident, but it was still only 40 feet away from Sister Gloria’s [Haynes] house.

    ‘Elderly and the ill’

    “There are elderly people and people with illnesses living around that cell tower and we have gotten nothing but a correspondence from the Telecommunications Unit saying ‘we received your correspondence’,” Obidiah-Alleyne said.

    She said they were prepared to write the Barbados Police Service to seek official permission to protest.

    “Our next step is to march in front of their offices. Since the [Ministry of Industry, Innovation, Science and Technology – MIST] office has some environmental issues, we can’t go to them at the [Baobab] Towers.

    “We are going to visit the Prime Minister because she is in office. We are going to carry placards and we are going to let her know we want this tower gone. We want them to see that they are doing harm to our neighbourhood and we are not standing for it. We will write a letter to the Commissioner [of Police] and whatever we have to do we are going to do because we are not stopping until that tower is moved,” she said.

    As the residents gathered at Obidiah-Alleyne’s home for the meeting, they were joined by Thorne and former Democratic Labour Party St James Central candidate Paul Gibson, who also raised concerns about the tower and whether it was a safety hazard to the residents.

    “Every construction on the face of this island must have permission. I want to congratulate you for treating this issue seriously because it has health implications,” Thorne said. “Nobody is certain yet how these towers affect people’s health, so it is important for you to defend your rights as citizens.

    Health concerns

    “Nobody has the right to invade your communities with projects like that, that are possibly harmful to your health.”

    He urged the residents to remain united as they fought to have the tower moved.

    Several householders raised concerns about whether the cell tower could cause cancer. They said they were in the dark as it was placed there “piece by piece” without full explanations early this year.

    Thorne questioned why there was no town hall meeting held to discuss the matter.

    “It is contemptuous of the rights of people in this community and it looks fairly permanent. The least corporations should do is hold a town hall meeting like this, inviting the residents to come together and express an opinion about the project. The fact that they have installed it without consultation would indicate that they know you would not have said ‘yes’,” he said.

    After the DAILY NATION highlighted the issue last month, Digicel responded by saying when it received the complaint on February 19, it reached out to the affected parties and later the Barbados Light & Power Company.

    After successive engagements with the Telecommunications Unit, the company said, it had complied with all that was asked of it in the current location, operating at or below the five per cent non-ionising radiation protection of international standards.

    On March 1, the residents ran an ad that further questioned Digicel’s points.

    In the last SATURDAY SUN, Minister of Industry, Innovation, Science and Technology Marsha Caddle explained what were the proper procedures for anyone who wanted to establish a cell tower.

    “There may have been some confusion on the part of the utility because of the cell on wheels being temporary, whether a planning commission is required. What normally obtains is that a planning commission is sought and the Planning and Development Department (PDD) reaches out to MIST and also the Ministry of Health and Wellness.

    Planning permission

    “So the PPD is the responsible agent of the placement of towers,” she said, adding checks revealed Digicel was required to apply for planning permission.

    “They did start that application [the previous] week. If the planning approval is not granted, the cell tower will have to be removed,” Caddle said.

    Margaret Harris was one of the residents who said it was too close to her home.

    “No person has said, ‘Lady, we are erecting something here’ and it is very close under me,” she said yesterday.

    Matrina Gibson raised concerns about the safety conditions since the tower was erected in January.

    “Today is 46 days and we are not going into 50 days. I had enough of this. I have a plant nursery, my business, my customers and I just want to get on with my life. I felt everybody’s pain. Enough is enough.

    “It is trauma. They can’t do it in [Ireland], why come to Barbados and do these things? It is time these things stop in this country,” Gibson said.

    Source: Nation

  43. David Avatar
    David

    The blogmaster does not understand how DIGICEL could have located a mobile cell tower in a small community without any official permission. What is happening in this country?

    The Lunchtime Edition

  44. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    “They did start that application [the previous] week. If the planning approval is not granted, the cell tower will have to be removed,” Caddle said.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    What a joke!!
    If the head is bad, no wonder the mess is getting worse.

    The cell tower SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN INSTALLED before permission was granted.
    IT IS ILLEGAL.
    It should therefore be IMMEDIATELY removed – pending such permission.

    The Company should ALSO be penalized for BREAKING the DAMN LAW – with a daily fine for each day the tower has been ILLEGALLY installed.
    …but this is ONLY done to poor Bajans trying to get by….

    But everyone knows that these foreign companies often employ ‘strategic’ locals, whose political connections allow them to do whatever the shiite THEY WANT To…

    What a CURSED place!!

  45. David Avatar
    David

    @Bush Tea

    You are aware the CEO of Digicel is the wife of who again?

  46. Snow Bird Avatar
    Snow Bird

    @David, why have we not heard from UWI or they silence is bought by governments subvention.

  47. David Avatar
    David

    By university you mean members of academia?

  48. David Avatar
    David

    UWI Cave Hill is not a research university to compare with Mona and others for example.

  49. GreenMonkey Avatar
    GreenMonkey

    8-Year-Old Boy’s ‘Severe’ Headaches Likely Caused by 5G Tower Near School
    An 8-year-old developed severe headaches when he started attending a school near a 5G cell tower, according to a new peer-reviewed case study. The findings suggest the high levels of radiofrequency radiation at school caused the boy’s symptoms, the researchers concluded.

    By
    Suzanne Burdick, Ph.D.

    A previously healthy 8-year-old boy suffered “severe” headaches when attending a school just 200 meters from a 5G cell tower, according to a new peer-reviewed case study.

    The study, published in the Annals of Clinical Case Studies, reported that the Swedish boy — who had no prior history of headaches — also experienced dizziness and fatigue.

    The symptoms stopped when the child started wearing a radiofrequency (RF) radiation-blocking cap, jacket and scarf to school.

    The report also noted the boy didn’t have the symptoms at home where levels of RF radiation were much lower.

    The findings suggest the high levels of RF radiation at school caused the boy’s symptoms, the researchers concluded.

    This is the seventh scientific report on the human health effects of real-life 5G by Dr. Lennart Hardell, a leading scientist on cancer risks from radiation, and Mona Nilsson, managing director of the Swedish Radiation Protection Foundation.

    Their reports are “provocation” case studies that detail how exposure to 5G RF radiation “provokes” the onset of symptoms, which quickly disappear when the exposure stops or is minimized.

    Hardell, an oncologist and epidemiologist with the Environment and Cancer Research Foundation who has authored more than 350 papers — almost 60 of which address RF radiation, believes the global rollout of 5G needs to stop because it’s harming people, especially kids who are “more vulnerable to toxins than adults.”

    Continued at: https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/8-year-old-boy-severe-headaches-5g-tower-near-school/

  50. David Avatar
    David

    A win for residents, Digicel announced it will relocate the cell tower.

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