Our health must be a priority, not an afterthought

Editor:

I’m alarmed by the Arctic Over-the- Horizon Radar (A-OTHR) project and its potential health and environmental risks. While national defence matters, the lack of transparency around electromagnetic radiation exposure is unacceptable.

The Department of National Defence admits there are radiation hazard zones but hasn’t released detailed data to the public. The site spans 550 hectares of beautiful farmland and borders one of the largest and most ecologically important wetlands in southern Ontario. We deserve clarity on the thousands of towers planned and didn’t get it at the public meeting.

High-powered radar systems can produce intense electromagnetic fields of radiation that could effect cellular function, the nervous system, and long- term health. Continued installation of EMF-emitting devices and towers are pushing us past a tipping point of cumulative exposure. Canada’s Safety Code 6 is outdated, focusing only on short-term heating effects and ignoring long-term impacts and global studies.

Dr. Magda Havas has summarized studies by Dr. Zory Glaser, a military researcher, documenting the effects from non-ionizing radiation and radar exposure.

The Department of National Defence states the radar will operate in the three- to 30-MHz range High Frequency (HF), which I fear is associated with biological effects.

More concerning is the absence of signal strength data. Frequency alone doesn’t define risk, power does. Building Biology guidelines recommend RF levels below 10 μW/m2 in sleeping areas. I am doubtful that surrounding homes will not be affected.

The feedback window closed Sept. 15. This isn’t meaningful consultation— it feels like a check-box exercise.

I urge local officials, media, and residents to demand full disclosure and independent oversight. Baseline Electro Magnetic Field readings must be taken now. Our health and this precious environment must not be sidelined.

Chris McKenzie,

Clearview.