Welcome

Urgent Action Needed ~ Contact the FCC by March 21, 2023

Dear Friends,

Although many have urged the FCC to recognize the EMS-disabled community and prioritize fiber-optic technology in its rule-making process, submitting hundreds of comments, the FCC has done neither. We need your help, ASAP, to let them know this is unacceptable!

Tell the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to recognize Electromagnetic Sensitivity (EMS) as a legitimate health condition, accommodate those disabled by it, and demand #FiberFirst.

With this new rule, the FCC wants to ensure everyone has access to wireless high-speed internet. Despite mounting evidence that radio-frequency (RF) radiation from wireless technology is harmful to people and the environment, the FCC is charging forward.

Before March 21, we need to repeat our concerns to the FCC about the risks and harms of wireless technology on our children and vulnerable populations by submitting comments in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking phase. We must also share these concerns with our elected officials, who must hold government agencies accountable for their decisions.

Please click on this link to tell the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to recognize Electromagnetic Sensitivity (EMS) as a legitimate health condition, accommodate those disabled by it, and demand #FiberFirst.

Important: The link above offers two options to submit a comment.  Scroll down to the bottom of article to see both.

The first option: You cannot customize this first message to the FCC. Just add your contact information and click on [Send Message] to submit the prepared message.

The second option:  You can scroll down past the green [Send Message] button to the Customizable Prepared Response section.
– Copy that prepared message.
– Click on the link to open the FCC comment page.
– Paste the prepared message into the Brief Comments field. You can then customize the message with your personal comments.
– Optionally, you can simply write your own message in a word processing app, then copy and paste it into the Brief Comments field.
– Make sure to leave “22-69” in the box at the top for the FCC Proceeding titled “Preventing Digital Discrimination.”

Complete the requested information on the remainder of the FCC page, then follow the instructions at the bottom of the page to review and submit your comments to the FCC.

Thank you,
Julie, Charlene, Kathleen, and the rest of the team at 5G Free California

We have been working for many years to stop the roll-out of 5G towers across Los Angeles County, California, and beyond. 

The LA County Board of Supervisors took a final vote on Tuesday, January 10, 2023, and unanimously approved changes to the County Code that benefit telecom corporations rather than people and the environment.

Fiber First LA Is Taking legal Action To Protect the Citizens of LA County

“On January 20th, [Fiber First LA] gave notice to the LA County Board of Supervisors of [their] intent to challenge their recent decision to approve new changes to the LA County Code that violate the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), eliminate citizen input regarding the deployment of new wireless antennas in their neighborhoods, and lack sufficient fire and safety protections that other California municipalities are putting in their codes. 

“This is not a step Fiber First LA took lightly. We (Fiber First LA and our allied organizations) have tried for months to engage the Los Angeles County Planning Department in meaningful and positive dialogue, but our requests to meet have been refused. Instead, the Planning Department engaged directly with the wireless industry, and accommodated their requests for changes in the code that ignore environmental impacts, increase the risk of fire, and take away citizen rights.”

Please Donate If You Are Able

For legal fees – 501(c)3 – Yes, tax-deductible:  
https://www.fiberfirstla.org/take-action

Read Fiber First LA’s Legal Notice to Los Angeles County

Read Fiber First LA’s Response to December 6th LA County Board of Supervisors Meeting

Results of the January 10, 2023 LA County Board of Supervisors Vote on Changes to Titles 16 and 22

Despite overwhelming opposition from local citizens and support from across the country, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on January 10th, 2023 to approve changes to their County Code (Titles 16 and 22), which will remove important safety protections for wireless deployment in LA County.  These changes cover small cell towers, macro towers, and antenna arrays disguised as fake trees, water towers, and other stealth structures, as well as strand-mounted 5G on guy wires. The public will have minimal notification, no appeal, and no one to call for help.

The Supervisors paid little attention to the many thousands who voiced their opposition by phone, by comments in the portal, by email, and by petition (over 30,000). They also seemingly ignored the 626 pages of studies and letters from scientists and doctors about the dangers of wireless radiation (submitted by Environmental Health Trust), and Fiber First LA’s extensive CEQA memo (24 pages of legal analysis).

The only support was a “petition” by Verizon, allegedly signed by more than 1,000 Los Angeles residents. We were skeptical, and with a little research, those we found and spoke with said they did not sign it. Go here and scroll down to Verizon Petition Scandal for more details, and to find out if your name is on their list.

Residents have been stripped of their rights. Fire and safety concerns have been ignored. Critical environmental protections – CEQA and others – have been dismissed. And any checks on the wireless industry have been virtually eliminated.

To all of you who helped in this effort, our sincere thanks. Your support kept us going, and will keep us fighting. While we are disappointed at the result, we are not finished speaking truth to power.  We will update this website within the next two weeks, and will keep you posted on our ongoing actions and activities.  Please stay tuned!

Results of the December 6th Board of Supervisors Meeting:

  • Your 8,000+ comments to stop the out-of-control roll-out of wireless facilities in our communities gave the Board of Supervisors reason to postpone their anticipated December 6th vote. Their final vote on the Draft Amendments to Titles 16 and 22 is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, January 10th.
  • Two Supervisors out of five now OPPOSE amendments as written: Hilda Solis and Lindsey Horvath.
  • Input to the Supervisors does create change, and we just need ONE MORE vote to Oppose.
  • We need to keep contacting all Supervisors, including thanking Hilda Solis and Lindsey Horvath.

Results of the November 15th Board of Supervisors Vote on Titles 16 and 22:

  • One Supervisor voted to Oppose and Four Supervisors voted to Pass.
  • Supervisor Solis surprisingly changed her vote to OPPOSE because of constituent input.
  • Input to the Supervisors does create change, and we just need two more votes to Oppose.
  • We need to keep contacting all Supervisors, including thanking Hilda Solis.

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Contact Info:

If you don’t know what district you live in, the Executive Office can tell you,
or you can go here to use their district lookup app.
Executive Office: 213-974-1411, E-mail: executiveoffice@bos.lacounty.gov

District 1: Hilda Solis, 213-974-4111, E-mail: FirstDistrict@bos.lacounty.gov
District 2: Holly J. Mitchell, 213-974-2222, E-mail: HollyJMitchell@bos.lacounty.gov
District 3: Lindsey Horvath (includes Topanga), 213-974-3333, E-mail: ThirdDistrict@bos.lacounty.gov
District 4: Janice Hahn, 213-974-4444, E-mail:  FourthDistrict@bos.lacounty.gov
District 5: Kathryn Barger, 213-974-5555, E-mail: kathryn@bos.lacounty.gov

Current LA County practices do not protect people or the environment.
Model legislation has been drafted to address this.

Here is the link for the Proposed Redline Changes for Titles 16 and 22 submitted by Fiber First LA which would have revised proposed changes to Titles 16 and 22 to be more protective for LA County.

Background

The LA County Department of Regional Planning has proposed amendments to Ordinances Title 16 and Title 22 of the LA County Code. These proposed changes would streamline wireless installations throughout LA County, benefiting the multi-billion dollar telecom industry, and removing protections for LA County citizens and communities. Fiber First LA has submitted to the Board of Supervisors Redlined Model Draft Legislation for Titles 16 and 22 of the LA County Ordinance. This Redlined submission is written to make Titles 16 and 22 more protective for LA County.

For more information, please go to Fiber First LA

Please also watch this brief video below to learn more about why fiber is superior to fixed wireless and how fiber to the end user will finally end the digital divide!

For more details on why Fiber-optic broadband is better than wireless broadband, see this page: Wired Broadband: Safer, Faster Technology

As of October 2022, we will be holding Quarterly Meetings in hybrid form, both live and via zoom.

Due to continuing work, our next meeting will be sometime in Spring 2023.  As soon as we have a firm date, we will post it here and notify our list members.  Please check back soon to see what’s happening.

October 17, 2022 Meeting Video

Featured Topics & Featured Speakers were:

Doug Wood from the Fiber First Team and Executive Director of Americans for Responsible Technology, presented important information on drafted “redline” model legislation versions of Title 16 and Title 22 of the LA County Code, and updates on actions being taken in LA County for the benefit of all of California and the entire United States.

Susan Foster is a Medical Writer, Fire & Utility Consultant, Honorary Firefighter (San Diego Fire Department) and works with attorney Scott McCullough on legal solutions to wireless challenges. She presented information regarding the ongoing fire risks associated with telecom equipment and four major wildfires in Southern California from 2007 to 2021 costing billions in damages.

Below is the video of the zoom portion of our October 17 meeting, also available on our Bitchute channel.

Timestamps in the above video:

0:03 – Julie Levine
4:35 – Charlene Hopey
10:58 – Kathleen Gildred
23:55 – Doug Wood followed by Q&A
43:44 – Susan Foster followed by Q&A
1:23:51 – Brenda Martinez

Previous Meeting Archives Have Moved to Their Own Page Under “About Us”

Background on Draft Wireless Ordinances, Title 16 and Title 22

The Draft Wireless Ordinances will dramatically accelerate the densification of small cell facilities in the County.  There will be no advance public notification and no public hearings. The long-established, open and public process for issuing Conditional Use Permits for such facilities will be replaced with a non-public “ministerial” process where the County rubber-stamps approvals, stripping away your Constitutional property rights, and exposing a large segment of Los Angeles County to Radiofrequency and Electromagnetic Radiation (RF/EMF), and in so doing, violating numerous federal, state, and local laws.

On March 23, 2022, LA County Department of Regional Planning passed horrible draft ordinances for small cell facilities, including industry-friendly and permissive regulations for cell towers on private property and highways. We are demanding the ordinances be amended before approval because:

  • There are no requirements regarding distance between cell towers,
  • no setbacks from homes,
  • no advance public notice,
  • no public hearings,
  • no environmental or coastal commission reviews,
  • no protections for historical landmarks,
  • no emissions testing to see if towers exceed the FCC limits,
  • and no safety reviews to mitigate fire hazards.

A vote on April 5, 2022 by LA County Board of Supervisors resulted in a “negative declaration” that small cell applications don’t need to go through NEPA or CEQA or fire safety or any other reviews, and found the draft wireless ordinances consistent with LA County’s general plan. That was one step towards approving the ordinances as written, so we have until June 2022 to get them amended prior to final approval.

Eliminating environmental protections regarding cell towers in LA County is not a safe choice and is a fire risk.  

The County Regional Planning actions will dramatically accelerate small cell densification and will strip away constitutional property rights in favor of industry:

  • Removal of open and public process for issuing Conditional Use Permits for such facilities will be replaced with a non-public “ministerial” process where the County rubber-stamps approvals.
  • These actions will expose a large segment of Los Angeles County to Radiofrequency and Electromagnetic Radiation (RF/EMF).

Preliminary draft ordinances for Title 16 (Highways) for small cell facilities in the public right of way and Title 22 (Planning and Zoning) for all other wireless facilities are now available by clicking here: https://planning.lacounty.gov/wireless

To review additional documents, please use the link provided on the County Wireless Ordinances webpage. 

This draft ordinance will violate numerous federal, state, and local laws. The LA County Ordinance will go up in front of Board of Supervisors in early June for a rubber-stamped vote. We can’t have this happen. This ordinance is not equitable – it will boost corporate profits by reducing costs for telecom corporations: violating California and federal protections, decreasing property values, and transferring fire and other liability risk to taxpayers. Please say no to “Title 22” and say “yes to science” and protect Los Angeles County residents from being blanketed by wireless RFR, fire risk and allow cities to implement superior municipal fiber broadband to eliminate the digital divide.

Here is a highlight excerpt of comments by Julian Gresser Esq at the March 9, 2022 meeting of the Topanga Town Council. Click here for a 6-page pdf of Mr. Gresser’s complete statement, or scroll down to the talking points.

In a nutshell, the Ordinance will effectively codify the present illegal practice of bypassing over 30 years of a well-established and balanced Conditional Use Permit Registration system with an accelerated Ministerial Site Review of small cell and macro cell antennas installed on private property. This de facto practice is currently being challenged in the Los Angeles Superior Court in the case of Angela Sherick-Bright v. County of Los Angeles. The ostensible justification for this precipitous rush to Ordinance is the FCC’s shot clock deadlines that aim to accelerate densification of small cell and macro towers antennas emitting Radio Frequency/Electromagnetic Field (RF/EMF) radiation in high and dangerous concentrations within residential communities. The clear intention of the proposed Ministerial Site Review Application process, which will effectively replace Conditional Use Permits on new facilities, is to eliminate due process protections for the Los Angeles County community — namely, timely prior notification and an opportunity to be heard in public hearings, which are guaranteed by the First and Fifth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution and Article I, Section 7 of the California Constitution.

Julian Gresser, Esq

The RPC Public Hearing Draft Ordinance has been released for public review, and can be found on the project website.

Here is a pdf slide presentation on the proposed changes to the ordinances.
Scroll down within the box below to view all seven slides.

Download the PDF file .

What You Can Do Beyond the Actions Above

  1. Review information on the draft ordinances at https://planning.lacounty.gov/wireless.
  2. Please also Join the Wireless Communication Facility Ordinance mailing list.
  3. Send in reports to Julie Levine of damages suffered by you and others from RF/EMF radiation, including RF/EMF emissions levels reports documented by certified meters; confirm injuries by reports from licensed physicians and medical professionals with expertise in RF/EMF radiation hazards.
  4. Alert vulnerable communities, including schools, hospitals, retirement communities, and fire departments.
  5. Listen to the BBILAN webinar on “Citizens Rights and Remedies Under the Shadow of 5G Surveillance and Behavioral Modification” then:
  6. Exercise your rights to opt out, and other privacy rights, protected under the California Consumer Privacy Act. Contact: Julie Levine

Please email all communications to: Julie Levine at 5GFreeCalifornia@gmail.com.

Good News! SB-556 Vetoed

Governor Newsom vetoed the worst of the Terrible Telecom Takeover bills, SB-556.

Click to our Legislative Strategy page to read about why this is so important.

Good News! Historic Ruling in CHD vs FCC Lawsuit

The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled in the historic case CHD et al. v. the FCC that the December 2019 decision by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to retain its 1996 safety limits for human exposure to wireless radiation was “arbitrary and capricious.”  

The court held that the FCC failed to respond to “record evidence that exposure to RF radiation at levels below the Commission’s current limits may cause negative health effects unrelated to cancer.” Further, the agency demonstrated “a complete failure to respond to comments concerning environmental harm caused by RF radiation.” The court found the FCC ignored numerous organizations, scientists, and medical doctors who called on them to update limits, and the court found the FCC failed to address these issues:

  • impacts of long term wireless exposure
  • impacts to children, 
  • the testimony of people injured by wireless radiation, 
  • impacts to wildlife and the environment 
  • impacts to the developing brain and reproduction.

Click here for details and videos of press conferences celebrating this historic win, including interviews with Robert F Kennedy, Jr, Scott McCullough, and Dafna Tachover.

Did You Know 5G Is Hazardous to Your Health
and the Health of Future Generations?

If you are completely new to the idea that 5G is not as great as it’s sold to be in mainstream media reports and advertisements, start here: