EU Commission Unable To Comment On Pylon Health Risks – Jim Higgins Midlands-North-West MEP

n a recent reply to Midlands-North-West MEP Jim Higgins, the Commission indicated that they could not guarantee that exposure to pylons does not pose adverse health effects.

“As far as I’m concerned if there’s even a shred of a doubt that pylons pose adverse health effects then the proposal should be immediately withdrawn.”

“To date, the research in the area of the electromagnetic fields (which would be emitted by the cables) is very sparse, contradictory and is too vague to rely on.”

Higgins gave the following example of the medical confusion in this area:  “Eirgrid regularly quote a World Health Organisation (WHO) 2007 report which states that it did not find any link between exposure to electromagnetic fields and disease or illness in humans.  However the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) found in 2007 and 2009 that there was a possible link between electromagnetic fields and childhood leukaemia and Alzheimer’s.”

“The SCENIHR will issue a review of all the scientific evidence relating to the risk from electromagnetic fields at the end of this month, which I hope will provide greater clarity.”

“As the facts stand the health risks attached to pylons are all too real to be simply swept under the carpet!”