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<br />Street, Denver, CO and home address is 1301 Birch Street, Broomfield, CO. Dr. Pierson pointed <br />out that the government through the direction of Congress in 1992 has sponsored several research <br />studies, in addition to several hundred others that can be pointed out that have been conducted in <br />both the United States and around the world. Two particular reports that Dr. Pierson feels are <br />timely here are a report from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of the <br />National Institute of Health of the U.S. Government. It was required by Congress to be <br />submitted to them last year as part of the 1992 energy policy act. Dr. Pierson stated that the <br />report concludes that there was very little evidence of any risk with EMF, in fact there has been <br />no conclusive demonstration of harm shown on any of these several hundred studies with regard <br />to exposure of magnetic fields of the type that are being addressed at this time. NIEHS concludes <br />by recommending that Congress funds no further research into this area until such time as <br />someone finds a reason to do so. Another study Dr. Pierson pointed out was done by the <br />National Academy of Sciences of the United States. They come to the same conclusion, this was <br />also done last year, and they essentially make the same conclusions and recommendations to <br />Congress. Dr. Pierson quoted directly from the National Academy of Sciences that, “The results <br />of the EMF rapid growth program do not support the contention that the use of electricity poses a <br />major unrecognized public health effect. Basic research on the effects of power frequency <br />magnetic fields on cells and animals should continue, but a special research funding effort is not <br />required.” The bottom line is that the research that Dr. Pierson is familiar with, which he has <br />conducted his own research and has been published, have not shown any harmful effects. Dr. <br />Pierson stated that the research that is being done at the University of Colorado is showing that <br />children who live near high traffic streets are probably more at risk than children who live near <br />large power lines. <br /> <br />Dr. Pierson, Mr. Thompson and his Staff were available for questions. <br /> <br />Commission Questions: <br /> <br />Commissioner McAvinew asked if the power lines were underground that the EMF would be <br />greater than if they were put on poles. Mr. Thompson stated that is not necessarily true. It <br />depends on where you are at with regard to the line itself. If is buried underground, it depends on <br />the type of construction and it depends on where you might be standing. There could have some <br />impact on the strength of the magnetic field as well as where you are with relationship to the <br />overhead lines. It is a distance factor that drives the exposure. <br /> <br />th <br />Danny Pearson, 550 15 Street, Denver, CO 80202. Mr. Pearson clarified that there are two <br />electric codes. The National Electric Code, the NEC, which concerns indoor electricity and types <br />like that. The National Electric Safety Code, the NESC, is for transmission lines. The magnetic <br />fields for the underground line the way it is being proposed to do it, would be in a duct system. It <br />would have the reverse phasing. The magnetic fields on centerline would be slightly less than <br />what it would be for overhead. The fields drop off considerably faster due to the close proximity <br />of the cables to each other and the cancellation that they have. <br /> <br /> <br /> 5 <br /> <br />