Tampa Resident Launches Petition After 5G Cell Tower Built Next To Home

Many Tampa Bay residents are shocked after discovering 5G cell towers are being built right next to their house. 5G cell towers are currently being quietly added to Tampa neighborhoods all over the place. These cell towers are popping up at schools, parks and right next to houses. This seems to be happening at a quick pace with many residents having no idea one was being built at all. Residents are worried about the potential health risks of these cell towers and the neighborhood aesthetic.

According to Forbes, the assistant professor of radiology Henk De Feyter, Ph.D. from Yale School of Medicine said, "The radiofrequency 5G uses higher than the previous iterations of wireless communication, including 4G and 3G. It works by producing electromagnetic waves for information to be sent and received." These 5G towers transmit electromagnetic radiation which is invisible energy. This energy is either described as ionizing or nonionizing electromagnetic radiation. Nonionizing uses low levels of radiation such as microwaves, cellphones and powerlines. Ionizing uses much higher levels of radiation like x-ray machines and sunlight. Christopher Collins, Ph.D., a professor of radiology at New York University said, “In human tissues, ionizing radiation at high enough doses is associated with an increase in cancer, most often skin cancer from the ultraviolet energy in sunlight.”

South Tampa resident Morgan Reid Watts was left in complete shock after she found out a 5G tower would be built right next to her house. A longtime resident, Watts discovered the 5G cell tower would sit merely 15-feet-away from her child's bedroom. She started doing a lot of research and decided that she wanted to help other residents in a similar situation. Watts just launched her own petition and it's gaining a lot of traction. So far, it's close to surpassing one thousand signatures in just a few days. She wants all of the 5G cell towers removed out of Tampa residential neighborhoods.

Meredith from Wild 94.1 talked with Watts and asked her thoughts about her current situation. Watts said, "When I learned a 5G tower would be going in my yard, I started to ask questions. What rights do we have as homeowners? What restrictions does our city have in place? Should we be concerned with our property values, family's health and neighborhood aesthetic? Why do other municipalities, states and countries have restrictions on this new technology, and we have none?" Many areas around the world including several countries have banned 5G cell towers from being built. One of their biggest concerns besides cyber security was health. According to Forbes, "In 2017, doctors and scientists launched a petition to stop the 5G rollout in the EU, citing cancer risks. One worry is that since 5G is so new, there hasn’t been time to properly test whether it’s safe."

The more Watts read about 5G, the more unanswered questions she got which was upsetting. She learned that many other residents shared her same concerns and wanted to do something about it. Watts said, "We have seen what other places are doing to protect their citizens. We want to know what our elected officials are doing to protect us? Until those questions are answered, homeowners should have the right to know they won’t come home to find a 5G pole in their yard." To read and sign Watt's petition click here for more information. Verizon 5G cell towers have been a big topic of discussion in the Tampa Bay area. To see all 5G cell tower current locations click on this map for all upcoming 5G towers click here.

There's several things we love about living in the Tampa Bay area! We're close to some of the most famous beaches in the world and the weather is beautiful but there's a downside to the area. Most won't tell you what's bad about the Tampa Bay area. From its exciting nightlife to gorgeous beaches, Tampa Bay offers the perfect balance of entertainment and natural beauty. However, like any place, there will be a few challenges that are strictly unique to life in Florida’s third-largest city. Normally, you only hear about all the great things with Tampa but you should know there's a bad side too. So, if you're looking to move to the beautiful state of Florida, scroll down to find out what's really going on here.

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