Trumbull police union rallies opposition to PD cell tower

Amanda Cuda, Staff Writer
http://www.ctpost.com
Published: 03:24 p.m., Tuesday, June 1, 2010



Shahzad's house set for foreclosure

Search continues for Bridgeport police chief, probably for a while

Roads to Metro Center will be rocky ... for a while

TRUMBULL -- The local police union is mobilizing opposition to a plan to construct a 180-foot-tall cell phone tower on the Police Department's property.

The proposed T-Mobile Communication cell tower would replace the 85-foot-tall radio tower now at the department's building at 158 Edison Road. The Town Council voted to approve the tower last year, and the application is now before the Connecticut Siting Council.

Members of the Trumbull Police Union, Local 1745, and the M.A.T.E. Union, which represents municipal employees -- including the Police Department's civilian dispatchers -- last week sent letters to 1,400 people living within a mile of the police station, urging them to speak out against the cell tower. The letter cites the variety of "negative effects such a proposal can bring to this area. They include health concerns, property valuation concerns, safety concerns, as well as visual/aesthetic concerns."

Reached by phone Friday afternoon, police union President Robert Coppola said the health impact is his biggest concern.

Though there's little concrete evidence about long-term health effects caused by cell towers, opponents fear there could be a link between radio-frequency energy emitted from a tower's antennas and serious health problems, such as cancer.

On its web site, the American Cancer Society reports that "cellular phone towers, like cellular phones themselves, are a relatively new technology and we do not yet have full information on health effects." However, the site also states, "There are some theoretical reasons why cellular phone towers would not be expected to increase cancer risk."

But, Coppola said, until he knows for sure that there are no health risks linked to cell phone antennas, "we don't want this thing over our building."

The letter asks residents who share the opponents' feelings about the project to call or e-mail their local and state representatives. Coppola said the feedback he's gotten so far suggests that many area residents weren't aware of the proposed tower until informed about it by police.

Sending the note to residents is one step the union has taken against the proposed tower. Coppola said the union filed a grievance through the state Department of Labor about the tower in January, and a hearing is expected on the complaint next month. The union also sent a letter to state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal in December, but hasn't heard back.

Coppola said he and other union members also hope First Selectman Timothy Herbst will support their fight against the tower. Herbst said he's having the town attorney review the proposal before deciding how to proceed. "I appreciate and understand the union's concern," he said, but added that since the decision was made before his election he's not sure what his options are. "I'm really stepping into this after the fact."

For more information, contact Trumbull Police Union, Local 1745, at 203-261-5264; e-mail at trumbull.union@att.net, or visit the "Stop Cell Phone Tower at Trumbull Police Department" page on Facebook.