Last updated April 12, 2019
A proposed law regarding the radiation from new and old cell phones, which was shelved by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors three months ago, is being revived. The board are meeting today in order to vote on amended legislation that would mean all city retailers would have to display informational notices regarding radio frequency (RF) and give out fact sheets to any customer who might request them. The amended law was proposed by Supervisor John Avalos last week, and was met with unanimous approval from the City Operations and Neighborhood Services Committee of the board.
A spokeswoman for Avalos says that the new law is intended to give customers basic access to information about radio frequency energy and how to limit exposure from used cell phones. “It’s about the public having the right to know this information,” notes legislative aide Frances Hsieh. “This is public information and we want to make sure that folks are aware.”
The original ordinance which was written last year would have forced retailers to display the specific absorption rate of each and every used cell phone in store, a move that delighted environmental groups but saw the wireless industry go up in arms, with Washington lobby arm CITA suing the city.
“This legislation is most definitely warranted,” says the Environmental Health Trust’s director of government and public affairs, Ellen Marks, who is supporting the new legislation. “Consumers have the right to know.”