July 12, 2007
Prince Edward Island

Protesters watch light tubes flow under high-voltage lines

HOWLAN ROAD – Close to 50 people braved pouring rain to stand under a power transmission line Wednesday night and watch plain fluorescent light tubes glow in the dark.

It was a protest organized by Gordon Ramsay, who says citizen safety has been overlooked in process of taking electrical power generated from the Cape Wolfe wind turbine farm to the Howlan substation.

The result of the upgrade to the power line is a 1,900 per cent voltage increase to the lines already there.

The increase in voltage, however, does not come with an increase in the distance of the lines from homes that the line passes.

It represents a huge percentage increase in exposure to the electro-magnetic field such lines emit.

Enough power to make a hand-held light tube glow.

Bill Costain is a nearby resident and he saw the glow.

“My reaction would likely not be able to be printed in your newspaper,” he said Wednesday night at the protest sight.

Ramsay said the group is worried about the health risks.

“We are being exposed to radiation that is powerful enough to energize the light bulb so to me, there is a problem,” he said from the protest site Wednesday.

The group hopes to meet soon with government representatives from the Departments of Health and Environment to present their concerns.

By Nigel Armstrong

The Guardian

12 July 2007


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/07/12/protesters-watch-light-tubes-flow-under-high-voltage-lines/