SACRAMENTO - Today the California Electric and Magnetic Fields Program of the California Department of Health Services (CDHS) released for public comment the drafts of two reports on electric and magnetic fields (EMFs): the Risk Evaluation report and the Policy Options Summary.

The Risk Evaluation analyzed published scientific studies conducted through June 2000 to determine whether exposure to low frequency EMFs from power lines and other sources could increase the risk of several health problems and, if so, what the magnitude of any risk might be. Health conditions examined in the evaluation include childhood leukemia, adult brain cancer, miscarriage and Alzheimer’s disease, among others. The Policy Options Summary reviewed possible options for dealing with EMFs in California, considering the uncertainty about possible health effects from EMFs.

The California Public Utilities Commission created the California EMF Program in 1993 to investigate the possible health effects of electric and magnetic fields associated with power lines, appliances and jobs with high exposure to EMFs. The program, which is a joint project of CDHS and the nonprofit Public Health Institute, did not include radio frequency or microwave fields associated with cell phone and cell phone towers.

The draft conclusions of the CDHS scientists who wrote these reports are now open for a two-month comment period and do not represent an official department position. Members of the public are welcome to review these documents and submit comments to the California EMF Program before the public comment deadline at noon Sept. 10. Following the comment period, the evaluators will respond to comments or revise the draft as appropriate, and an independent Science Advisory Panel will advise CDHS on whether to formally issue the final documents. Both draft documents and instructions on how to provide comments are available at http://www.dhs.ca.gov .