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_~*, SITE pLANNING - HAZARDS AND LIABILITIES OF WIRELESS TELECOMMUNI Attachment D Battery Hazards SITE PLANNING - HAZARDS AND LIABILITIES OF WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS BASE STATION INSTALLATIONS This link contains URL's for articles from various industry and governmeut web sites that discuss safety hazards and liability issues from wireless telecommunications installations. These include back-up battery problems including fire, explosion, and leaking of sulfuric acid as well as liability for RF interference with a variety of industrial, medical and home electronic equipment in the neighborhood and real estate property devaluation. ' These articles can help to build the "public Safety" and "preserving property valUes'. arguments and provide "substantial evidence in a written record" to deny permits for wireless telecommunications facilities in close proximity to schools, homes, and day care and nursing home facilities such as on the community water tower, as well as those proposed for existing structures such as rooftops, historic structures and churches. The equipment shelter/hut that is required for the operation of the antennas presents a clear hazard to the safety of the neighborhood. The cost of liability insurance to .cover all of these hazards along with decreases in property values should discourage churches and historic sites from hosting wireless facilities despite the promise of revenue from the wireless provider. BATTERY HAZARDS Several of the authorsofthese articles were asked to describe a typical battery array for a cellular or PCS base station supporting an antenna site. Typically there are 16 one hundred pound, Lead-Acid 48 volt batteries that arCmost often filled with sulfuric acid. Their chemistry is similar to automobile batteries. There is some controversy as to whether the EPA regulation which requires notification of the presence of hazardous materials to local fire and safety authorities · should apply. Sulfuric Acid is on the EPA list of"Extremely Hazardous Substances" and is present in an array of 16 batteries in sufficient amount to require this notification. As more and more antennas are sited on rooftops, in steeples, and in residential neighborhoods, notification becomes more critical. http://www.cali¢orp,c0m/articles/batlcries-ho7o rds. hi mi Lead-Acid Battery 14~?~rds http ://w~v. ncs. §ov/n$_hp/informafion AssurancefHazSec2.htm Web site of the National Communicati~-ns System (NCS). In 1962 after the Cuban missile crisis, President Kennedy directed the National Security Council (NSC) to form this interdepartmental committee to examine the communications networks and institute changes. NCS keeps ongoing records of all hazards that have effected telecommunications systems in the United States. From this on-line NCS Report - 2.0 NATURAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL HAZARDS: ' This section provides information concerning major natural and technological hazard threats to NS/EP telecommunications and supporting systems. 2.2.1.3 Experiential Data Properties wholly dedicated to computer or telecommunications activities are actually a comparatively small part of the U.S. fire problem. From 1990 to 1994, computer and data proceSSing centers annually averaged29 structure fires, no reported deaths, I injury, and $1.31 million in direct property damage. All communications, defense, and document facilities combine - including defense radio and radar sites, police and fire communications centers, telephone exchanges, and document centers and record repositories- annually averaged 249 structure fo'es, no deaths, 6 injuries, and $7.21 million in direct property damage. The large problem actually occurs in electronic equipment rooms or areas where more than 1,000 structure fires are reported each year to U.S. fire department~. See section entitled "1994 Los A~geles Telephone Exchange Fire*' and paragraph under Tnble 2-8 Chines of Fires at Telecommunications Facilities. http://www.tclecomciick,com Typ~ in "A battery for all seasons7" in the SEARCH box. Click on GO. htt_D ://x~%x%v.calicorp..com/a~iviso~J~B Advisory: Lead-acid Batteries http://www, telecomclick..c0m IV-116 http://emmetwork.org/siting/basehazards.htrn 10/3o/u