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Sunday, July 08, 2007 Cancer cluster claims rejected By MichaelFosburg @ 3:16 PM :: 2086 Views :: News, Cell Phones, General EMR, Ireland   Cancer cluster claims rejected The Office of Public Works and the ESB have rejected claims by Southside residents that a nearby mobile phone mast and overhead power lines could be responsible for unusually high incidences of cancer in their area. Residents of Ronanstown who live beside a mobile mast located at local Garda station and who also have high voltage ESB cables running overhead, have also written to Health Minister Mary Harney requesting her department to carry out an investigative survey into their concerns. The Office of Public Works grants licences to mobile phone companies to install telecommunications equipment on Garda stations around the country. In April of 2006, local resident Brian Russell, who was 20 years of age at the time, was diagnosed with a cancerous tumour of the brain. He has since undergone several radiotherapy treatments and is awaiting a MRI scan to determine whether or not his condition has improved. The Russell family home is located within 30 metres of the mobile phone mast and there are also high voltage electricity cables passing over the house. Speaking to Southside People, Brian’s sister Imelda said that as well as her brother’s illness there have been unusually high incidences of cancer among both their neighbours and within the Garda station itself.   “My brother has a brain tumour, which is cancerous,” she said. “There are five neighbours living next door to each other that live around the other side of the Garda station and out of those five houses there are nearly two people in each that have either died of cancer or have cancer. “We have spoken to a Garda in the station and he said there have been a lot of illnesses in the station and he said people just pass out.” “We want a survey done on our area surrounding the pylons,” she added. “We want the Health Services Executive to do the survey to see if there is a cancer cluster in our area.” Brian Russell said that although he feels his condition is improving he often gets “very depressed”.  “I believe it was the mobile mast and the power lines that caused the tumour because they are very close to us,” he said. “I have been sleeping in the back bedroom which is the nearest point in the house to the mast.” A group of residents in the Ronanstown area, including Imelda Russell, met two weeks ago to determine a course of action in an effort to voice their concerns about the high numbers of locals suffering from cancer. During the meeting the residents decided to establish a campaign group, which they have named Mast Action Clondalkin. In a statement the group said: “We believe that there is no coincidence between the rate of cancer and mobile phone masts/electrical pylons in this area. “As a community, we are determined that the health of our neighbours, friends and family will be put first.” The president of the Garda Representative Association (GRA) John Egan, said his members had expressed concerns about the possibility of detrimental health effects as a result of radiation emanating from the masts. “The GRA has concerns in relation to the effects of non ionizing radiation that is purported to be coming from these masts,” he said. “We have been assured by our authorities that it is within accepted standards but we remain concerned as there seems to be an issue internationally with these masts.” A spokesman for the ESB said there was no scientific evidence of any detrimental health effects from overhead power lines. “Although the ESB can understand that people are concerned about their health, ESB staff have been working with overhead power lines for 80 years now and we see no evidence of ill effects on them.” In a statement, the Office of Public Works said: “Under the terms of the licence agreement the mobile phone operators are required to install and operate all equipment in accordance with all relevant legislation, such as health, safety and planning…and will operate within current standards and EU regulations.”