The Parent-Teacher Association of Connecticut (CT PTA) issued the following statement regarding a resolution passed at their convention in May 1994 seeking legislation on the issue of electromagnetic field safety:
"That CT PTA seek and support legislation insuring that high tension wires, cellular and microwave towers, must be two-hundred yards from any existing or new public school, child care facility or playing field until scientific evidence of the bioeffects of electromagnetic fields is conclusively determined to be safe, and, that where existing wires, cellular and microwave towers need to be moved, the company or responsible agent be liable for the cost and not the local school district".
According to the PTA statement, the above resolution was based on the EPA draft report concerning low-level EMF, and "a growing body of scientific evidence suggest[ing] that there may be a connection between cancer and exposure to electromagnetic fields from high current lines." The PTA maintains the resolution and has not issued any subsequent addendum or additional statements.
Northeast Utilities (NU), a Connecticut-based electric service provider, conducted a proactive outreach effort in August 1994 to school superintendents in their tri-state territory (Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire). A package of EMF information was provided with a letter that offered additional information and/or measurements in the future. At this time, approximately 10 school superintendents have requested further information. Only one school district has scheduled measurements. NU also responds to town or parent requests for measurements in schools, which are not included in these numbers.
In response to a legislative request issued in July 1993, three investor-owned Maine utilities have offered a magnetic fields measurement program to local school districts: Central Maine Power (CMP), Bangor Hydro, and Maine Public Service Company. The program was designed to educate school administrators about electric and magnetic fields. Only 10 out of 170 school superintendents, all within the CMP territory, have requested measurements.
Measurement data were delivered to 49 schools by four investor-owned utilities involved in the school measurement project: Public Service Electric & Gas Co.; Jersey Central Power and Light; Atlantic Electric; and Rockland Electric. The measurement program was initiated at the request of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities and encompassed all public and private schools (K-12) with buildings or regularly-used athletic facilities within 100 feet of 69-kV-or-greater transmission lines (as measured from the edge of right-of-way). The purpose of the survey was to obtain field measurements for monitoring purposes. According to a press release issued by the then-named Board of Regulatory Commissioners, "if research ever judges exposures to EMFs to be harmful and indicates a need to take action, this data bank will help us establish priorities and act accordingly."
The measurement protocol involved a combination of spot measurements and computer modeling to predict EMF levels at both average and peak electrical load conditions. Actual measurements from the informal survey ranged from 0.2 mG to 47.3 mG, with individual readings varying by school and at different points on individual school grounds depending on the configuration of the power lines, the current flows, and proximity to the lines, as well as other factors.
School safety was the focus of the National EMR [ElectroMagnetic Radiation] Alliance's concern in 1994. Members were encouraged to organize petition drives to utilities, state legislatures, and regulatory agencies as a part of their "Hazard Free School Zone" campaign. The goal of the campaign was to identify areas of EMF concern by using measurement data and holding public hearings and town meetings to discuss mitigation strategies. The National EMR Alliance was formed in 1991 as a grassroots organization to foster effective communication, networking, and organization of citizen action groups involved in the EMF issue. This group has a national presence and is presently in contact with over 300 EMF citizen action groups, both in the United States and other countries.