Canadians fret over cell towers' proximity

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TORONTO, Sept. 26 (UPI) -- A growing number of people in and around Canadian cities are upset to see cellphone towers being erected close to homes without consultation.

A Canadian Broadcasting Corp. report Wednesday noted how telecommunications companies are circumventing public concerns by building towers that are just inches under the height affected by federal guidelines.

Local government and residents must be consulted if a tower exceeds 15 meters, or 49.2 feet from the ground. The companies are skirting the process by building towers just under the limit, such as 14.9 meters or 48.8 feet, the CBC said.

In Oakville, 25 miles west of Toronto, homeowner Lisa Guglietti told the broadcaster she was shocked one day to see eight cell towers on the chimney of a neighboring commercial property. All were just below the consultation limit, but were located just 42.6 feet from her son's bedroom, the report said.

While there is scientific disagreement over potential health hazards from cellphones and microwave towers, the International Agency for Research on Cancer has said radiation from them is a possible human carcinogen.

As for towers, the federal regulator, Industry Canada, told the CBC it only keeps records on towers higher than 15 meters.

The agency collected $582 million in revenue last year from companies erecting cellphone towers, the report said.