New draft for cellular antenna rules weak on public notice - Haaretz

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Fri., December 07, 2007 Kislev 27, 5768

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New draft for cellular antenna rules weak on public notice

By Eran Gabay

Tags: residents

Neighboring residents would not need to be notified before the installation of a new cellular antenna according to a draft of cellular antenna regulations finalized yesterday by the National Planning and Building Council. The notification obligation would apply only to residents of the building where the antenna is installed.

The decision is odd to say the least. First, because by its very nature, an installation in a private, single-family home, would require no notification at all. Second, radiation from antennas installed on upper floors of multi-story apartment buildings is apparently distributed in a water-sprinkler fashion to the sides, and can therefore be expected to affect neighboring buildings more than the site of the installation itself.

Sources close to the national master plan drafting process say the current draft is weak on the aspect of public notification. The draft plan will now be submitted for comment by various bodies; the process is expected to continue for months longer, until the final draft is presented for government approval.

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According to the Ministry of the Interior, the draft's central goal is to back the broad distribution of small, low-power antennas, with a limited health safety range that does not breach into neighboring properties in urban settings.

Ministry of the Interior Director General Aryeh Bar, who heads up the National Planning and Building Council, said the decisions on the issue constitute a true revolution in addressing the need to involve the public in the planning process, whether directly or through local committees.

"It is only appropriate the public be involved in the process of planning that leads to the installation of cellular antennas on their rooftops" said Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit. According to the announcement, the intention is to lower the amount of radiation in urban settings while minimizing damage to landscapes.

"A broad distribution of these small installations will enable broad and efficient cellular coverage while ensuring low radiation from the cellular telephones themselves," the announcement stated.

The plan provides three different planning and licensing tracks that address these principles, based on the safety range of the installations. The tracks differ from one another in the obligation to provide public notice, licensing authority and extent of the local council's reimbursement. In general, as reported yesterday, new installation of cellular antennas will require public notification of the location. In addition, it was decided that in cases where reimbursement to residents is due, 80 percent of the cost will be borne by the cellular companies and 20 percent by local authorities.

In order to involve the public, and to prevent illicit installations of antennas, the draft has suggested the public be notified as a facet of the licensing. In addition, the draft plan calls for clear signs to be posted, indicating both the presence of an antenna as well as other relevant details, such as the antenna's safety range.

"The changes will force cellular companies to invest substantial effort and attention to limit exposure to radiation and improve the look of the antennas. This will result in maximum transparency," the draft states.

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