Officials from Vertical Bridge (VB), the tower company that aims to build a 100-foot monopole in Nucla so that cell phone companies can use it for their service, came to town Aug. 18 to speak to residents. Liz Walker, spokesperson for VB, attended live, in person, with other VB officials online. Walker told the crowd delays in coming sooner were her fault and she was pleased to be on site.
She spoke about connectivity and how the tower is related to consumer choice, and impacts health care and economic productivity. She said wireless communication helps people with using the internet in searching for jobs, interviewing and working remotely. She said if it’s a main source of communication, and people don’t have a landline, they should have reliable and robust service. She said wireless access is important for tele-health appointments and added most 911 calls are made from a wireless device.
“You need a strong signal to call for help” she said.
Walker also mentioned Amber and Silver alerts, which are communicated through cell phones.
Walker said the tower VB is building will use non-ionizing electromagnetic energy, rather than ionozing. She said it doesn’t cause harm. And, she said energy from an antenna decreases the farther you’re away from it, whereas the opposite is true for handheld devices that are trying to pick up a signal.
Walker said 5G is the same technology as 4G, just at a higher frequency that uses less power; it processes faster and more efficiently with less energy.
According to her, experts at World Health have claimed there’s no connection with cell towers and cancer. She said it confirms what her company already knows about non-ionizing energy.
“In terms of safety, I hope this addresses your concerns,” she said.
She showed a coverage map, demonstrating the gaps in service that exist in the West End. She discussed the cell tower sites her company has considered: the brush dump and the Grand Avenue space. She said the Grand Avenue spot would cover more territory and better.
Tom Loczy expressed concerns about power reaching the brush dump. He added there’s a chance required easements wouldn’t be completed by landowners.
Bodie Johannson asked about the emitter, the bar, that sends energy. Walker said it’s a broad ray. Josh Fengel asked if T-Mobile was the main client, and if others would also use the tower. VB officials said others could.
Rudi Barbee said he’s worried about the power of the signal that will be emitted.
Jane Thompson, who lives across the street from the Grand Avenue site, said it’s 120 steps from her door and nobody ever told her about it. She does’t understand how the contract was signed in October, but citizens were unaware. Representatives from VB said that’s the town’s repsonsbility, not theirs. Thompson also said plans indicate the tower will be lit; VB officials said it wouldn’t be. Thompson asked if the company could lease to anyone it wanted in the future. VB officials said it’s not their intention to sell the tower, but to market to cell companies.
John Reed expressed concern for school children and the pattern in history wherein corporations or government tell people a technology is fine, when it actually may cause harm, and not enough time has been given for study of effects.
Walker said cell technology has been around since the early 1970s. She circled back to the fact that other wireless devices and other cell towers are already emitting EMF energy in the West End.
Bodie Johannson asked about contributing to even more cellular energy in the environment, and a surge of EMF. Walker said it’s about meeting FCC requirements, and that cell companies emit below the allowed amount. Johannson asked about industry standards for setbacks; Walker said there aren’t any.
One Nucla citizen asked about the average lease cost, landowners’ profit, and also the average lease cost to a cell tower company, what cell companies pay to get on; VB officials said that was confidential.
Miranda Fengel said the historical preservation due diligence for the town site may not have been satisfied; she inquired about where VB is on that.
VB officials said the location isn’t final, and Walker doesn’t handle historical work. Walker said that might be a reason to go to the brush dump and the meeting was to gauge public opinion on the site.
“I don’t want that tower across the street from my house,” Jane Thompson said in closing. “Nobody in this room would want that tower 120 steps from their front door.”
She also echoed Reed’s sentiments about the school.
