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1 <br /> 1 <br /> A number of other diseases have been investigated for possible association with ELF ' <br /> magnetic field exposure. These include cancers in children and adults, depression, <br /> suicide, reproductive dysfunction, developmental disorders, immunological <br /> modifications and neurological disease. The scientific evidence supporting a linkage <br /> between ELF magnetic fields and any of these diseases is much weaker than for <br /> childhood leukemia and in some cases (for example, for cardiovascular disease or <br /> breast cancer) the evidence is sufficient to give confidence that magnetic fields do <br /> not cause the disease. (Id. at p. 12.) <br /> Furthermore,in their"Summary and Recommendations for Further Study"WHO emphasized that: <br /> The limit values in [ELF-MF] exposure guidelines [should not] be reduced to some <br /> arbitrary level in the name of precaution. Such practice undermines the scientific, <br /> foundation on which the limits are based and is likely to be an expensive and not <br /> necessarily effective way of providing protection. (Id. at p. 12). <br /> Although WHO recognized epidemiological studies indicate an association on the range of three to ' <br /> four mG, WHO did not recommend these levels as an exposure limit but instead provided: "The <br /> best source of guidance for both exposure levels and the principles of scientific review are <br /> international guidelines." Id. at pp. 12-13. The international guidelines referred to by WHO are the <br /> International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection ("ICNIRP') and the Institute of <br /> Electrical and Electronic Engineers ("IEEE") exposure limit guidelines to protect against acute <br /> effects. Id. at p.12. The ICNIRP-1998 continuous general public exposure guideline is 833 mG and <br /> the IEEE continuous general public exposure guideline in 9,040 mG. In addition, WHO <br /> determined that "the evidence for a casual relationship [between ELF-MF and childhood leukemia] <br /> is limited, therefore exposure limits based on epidemiological evidence is not recommended, but I <br /> some precautionary measures are warranted." Id. at 355-56. <br /> WHO concluded that: ' <br /> given both the weakness of the evidence for a link between exposure to ELF magnetic <br /> fields and childhood leukemia, and the limited impact on public health if there is a <br /> link, the benefits of exposure reduction on health are unclear. Thus, the costs of <br /> precautionary measures should be very low... Provided that the health, social and <br /> economic benefits of electric power are not compromised,implementing very low-cost <br /> precautionary procedures to reduce exposure is reasonable and warranted.(Id at p. 13). <br /> Wisconsin, Minnesota and California have all conducted literature reviews or research to examine <br /> this issue. In 2002, Minnesota formed an Interagency Working Group ("Working Group") to ' <br /> evaluate the body of research and develop policy recommendations to protect the public health <br /> from any potential problems resulting from HVTL EMF effects. The Working Group consisted of <br /> staff from various state agencies and published its findings in a White Paper on Electric and ' <br /> Magnetic Field(EMF) Policy and Mitigation Options in September 2002, (Minnesota Department of <br /> Health,2002).The report summarized the findings of the Working Group as follows: <br /> Research on the health effects of EMF has been carried out since the 1970s. <br /> Epidemiological studies have mixed results — some have shown no statistically <br /> significant association between exposure to EMF and health effects, some have <br /> shown a weak association. More recently,laboratory studies have failed to show such <br /> Orono Project June 7,2011 <br /> MPUC Docket No. E002/TL-11-223 34 <br />