Penthouse owner blames cellphone masts for ill-health

BEREA resident, Michael Thurley has approached the eThekwini Municipality to investigate the plethora of cellphone masts and base station units which have been erected on the roof of the block of flats in which he resides. Thurley said the radiation from the masts was affecting him and his partner physically and he believed the weight of the units had resulted in cracks to the roof of his penthouse flat.

Thurley said he moved back into his flat at Epernay in Botanic Gardens Road in February and raised his concerns with the building's managing agent.

“We moved back to our penthouse apartment and noticed additional units, masts and antennas had been installed on our roof top and within one meter of our main bedroom and bathroom. The electrical cables for all these units also run directly across our entire apartment. My elderly parents, who were occupying the apartment, had complained of continuous headaches and dizziness and had to move out,” he said.

Concerned, Thurley called on Tracey-Lee Dorny of the Electromagnetic Radiation Research Foundation to do an independent report on the situation. The report revealed that the units were emitting traces of radiation. The report also highlighted the fact that the electrical cables which run across the roof were just as dangerous as the units themselves.

“We have had the same symptoms as my folks to such an extent that we have moved out of the main bedroom as a result of continuous headaches, shortness of breath and dizzy spells,” he said.

“Cracks have now appeared in the roof and I believe the weight limitations required for their installation has been exceeded. As the managing agents are not getting back to me, and the radiation report that was requested has also been denied, I have approached the City of Durban to get involved. I received feedback last week that they would investigate this matter shortly,” he said.

Thurley's family has owned the apartment for 17 years. His parents had moved into the flat seven years ago. He said his father was not involved in approving the installation of the base stations as they were installed long before he and his mother moved into the penthouse. The Cell C unit was approved and installed in 2009 when Oscar Tonetti served as chairman of the body corporate.

Tonetti said when he became chairman in April 2008, Epernay already had MTN and Vodacom base stations installed on the roof.

“I was not made aware of any formal complaints against these installations having been made by owners to prior committees nor can I recall receiving any when I later joined the committee. In August 2009 we were approached by Cell C to install a base station on the roof. Since to my knowledge the Vodacom and MTN base stations had given no reported problems, the committee accepted the offer by Cell C to install their station on the roof in November 2009,” he said.

Tonetti said minutes from a meeting on 15 November 2010 recorded a complaint by Charles Thurley about constant headaches.

“Since these headaches had started after the installation of the Cell C base station it was assumed that it was the Cell C installation that was most likely causing the problem and Cell C agreed to reposition their aerials. My understanding after this was that the headache problem had been solved,” said Tonetti.

He said a company from Stellenbosch did a radiation measurement survey of Epernay and the report showed exposure was well below the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) guidelines.

However, Dorny said she was appalled that the telecoms industry was happy to do this to someone’s home.

“Rest assured none of them would live there. The Thurleys will face long term health effects from both the electromagnetic fields and the electrical fields if they stay there. The installations should be decommissioned with immediate effect and repairs made to the Thurley’s residence at the expense of the service providers,” she said.

Berea Mail contacted the managing agents for comment, and were told a report would be forthcoming from Cell C. At time of going to print, this was not yet available.

Amjith Harinarain from the managing agents, had responded to Michael Thurley informing him that the matter had been raised with the cellphone mast owners (Cell C).

He said Mr Thurley had failed to mention that his parents were trustees on the body corporate at the flats and that they had served on it for many years. “Mr and Mrs Thurley were directors at the time when they had raised their concerns, why did they not do anything in their capacity as directors?” he asked.