Say NO to overhead double circuit 500 kV transmission lines along any proposed route

Q.       Who are you?

A.        We are the Coalition of West End Communities for Burying the Line formed in June 2009.

Why are there 2 groups?

There are 2 groups as a result of a decision of the majority of the Coalition members choosing to merge with RETA.  The second group emerged October 2009.

Q.       Why did you join RETA?

A.       RETA has helped the Coalition find its footing at its inception by explaining the work they had done, told us about the health concerns, about the possibility of undergrounding (Bury the Lines) to mitigate the electromagnetic field, and helped us to understand the issues.

RETA also explained how they battled against a power line in 1986 and won, they explained how they researched the best way to fight the issue.  

RETA's conclusions involved two main points - one was to work with the government and not against them (we have seen the consequences in education and other areas where the government has turned on those who they perceive to be their opponents) and the other was not to be NIMBY (a not in my backyard stance results in pitting one route/group against the other which is counter-productive to fighting the real battle - Bury the lines.   

We joined RETA because it was the responsible and most progressive thing to do.  If we stand together with a unified front we cannot be pitted against one another and are stronger for it.

A unified voice is a strong voice.

Q.       Where did my donation go?

A.       RETA has funded the efforts of the Coalition since its inception, including the WECA Meeting that was held on September 21, to help inform and educate the west end. The money raised at the meeting that RETA was able to take in fell far short of the actual costs to put on that information seminar.

The costs of the signs on peoples lawns also fell short of the actual funds raised from donations.

Q.       What are the next steps?

A.      more information to follow shortly.

Q.       I'm not convinced there is a risk how can you be so sure?

A.       We are all entitled to develop our own opinions on the effects of EMFs on the health of humans, pets, livestock, and wildlife. As each individual conducts research on this topic, some of the research undoubtedly appears more convincing than others, often depending on each individual's previous knowledge and beliefs.

When we first became aware of the Heartland Project Team's official position on the effects of EMFs on health which is, (direct quote) "....the project team believes that the levels of EMF associated with its electric system are not a risk to human health", we decided to conduct our own research of the published and peer-reviewed literature.

Based on our research, there are hundreds of medical and scientific studies that indicate anywhere from minor to significant increased health risks of prolonged exposure to the types of EMFs emitted by high voltage power lines in Alberta, including the proposed Heartland line. We stand by the studies we have cited in the RETA Fact Sheets on our website. What is particularly interesting from a statistical perspective is, if the results reported in the studies we have cited occurred strictly by chance, which is what those who are skeptical of these health studies often state, why are there no studies that reveal disease risk factors of less than 1.0 for people or other animals exposed to EMFs over a prolonged period? In other words, the vast majority of studies on the effects of EMFs report some increased health risk, sometimes very minor, sometimes significant; however, even a study that reveals a risk of only 1.1 times the expected risk in the general population shows a negative health effect. To reiterate, if these results occurred only by chance, there should be just as many studies associated with prolonged exposure to EMFs that reveal disease risk factors of less than 1.0; and, this is simply not the case.

We read numerous studies that revealed only very weak links between specific diseases and prolonged EMF exposure; however, many of these were funded by the electric utility industry, which rendered them somewhat suspect when compared to those conducted and funded independently of this industry.

The more we delved into the literature, the more we realized that the Heartland Project Team's flippant disregard for all of this research was not only dishonest, but potentially dangerous to the health of residents who would be living next to the power line. As a result, RETA felt an obligation to share the many studies we had researched with Albertans in order that they might decide for themselves whether or not they believe that high voltage power line EMFs pose a threat to health. In the final analysis, if RETA and the hundreds of researchers who report significant links between EMFs and human health problems are proven wrong in the future, and we had convinced governments and transmission facility operators (TFOs) to bury high voltage power lines, the landscape would be a little more attractive, birds would not be killed crashing into overhead lines, and neighbouring property values would not have been devalued. If, on the other hand, a clear cause and effect relationship is shown in the future between EMFs and dozens of diseases, many people would have died.

Research has shown that burying the line would almost eliminate the electric field and attenuate the magnetic field to the point where health risks would be minimized

Q.      How can I help?

A.      Volunteer time to help, become a member, write to your school trustees, MLAs and other government officials and most of all let your voice be heard by attending the November 24th Meeting