Laguna Beach Residents Are Saying NO to 5G

Major telephone companies like T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint are now offering 5G to their customers all across the country. With the hype surrounding stronger and faster service, you’d think it would be something that everyone was head-over-heels excited for. However, groups in cities across California — including Laguna Beach — believe that we need to take a closer look at what it actually means to make 5G so easily accessible.

In September 2018, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved enforcing regulations to streamline the introduction of 5G wireless technology. These regulations would override the regulations at local levels that could slow down or stop the building of 5G-enabled infrastructure until the city approves. According to the FCC, this is a move that would ensure the United States wins the global race to 5G. Towns like Laguna Beach see this as an infringement of their rights and are fighting to regain local control. 

Shannon O'Neil, a Laguna Beach community member and leader of Reclaim Our Absolute Rights, otherwise referred to as ROAR Laguna Beach, says there are many reasons why the community should be aware of the effects of 5G on the city. 

“My number one concern is health,” says O’Neil. “I think that if there’s any question about the health and safety of this technology, then we should really be putting a pause on it.” 

O’Neil has been involved with this grassroots anti-5G movement in Laguna Beach from its inception, and has since rallied other members of her community to stand up and find a way to stop the city from giving in and accepting the FCC’s ruling like other cities have. The business owner and mother of three believes there is a common misconception that 5G has anything to do with cell service. 

“Cell service is not a problem,” she explains. “5G is about broadband — it’s about download ability. It’s about being able to download things faster.” O’Neil has even made the trip to the Verizon offices to confirm this, where she discovered cell service in Laguna to be one of the best in Orange County. During her visit she was able to get a map from the planning commission that listed all the small cell sites throughout the city. “They already cover all of Laguna,” she says incredulously. “For them to say now that they want to add all of these cell sites is insanity, because we’re already covered.”

At the end of the day, O’Neil and ROAR believe it’s a money thing. The big companies make money from having more cell sites... but more doesn’t necessarily mean better. 

On top of the issue of excessiveness, O’Neil stresses that the health and safety risks of something like 5G technology on the town could take years to uncover. And although the FCC has said there isn’t any reason to be alarmed about the effects of 5G tech, some experts warn that the radiofrequency electromagnetic frequencies, known as RF-EMF’s, could potentially be carcinogenic to humans and may increase a risk for cancer, as suggested by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Even the World Health Organization stated that, while there have been no recorded adverse health effects from this kind of exposure, they are actively continuing to conduct research in this area. 

While proper research could take years to conclude, 5G is already active in Santa Monica, downtown San Diego, and Los Angeles. “When the FCC says there aren’t any residual effects of 5G, it’s like, well, of course not... it only got turned on in Santa Monica a year ago!” O’Neil points out. “It’s going to take time to find out.” 

Determined to fight, O’Neil has had plenty of firsthand experience with these situations. Her father died at 44 because of mesothelioma believed to be caused by exposure to asbestos when he was a child, and her mother contracted leukemia believed to be caused by exposure to Roundup nearly 20 years earlier. “Most things that we eventually learn are unhealthy, takes many, many years to discover,” she admits.

In addition to the health risks, O’Neil says that she and other residents are concerned about the increased fire safety risks that the new 5G technology could cause. She notes that the Woolsey Fire in 2018, the fires in Northern California in 2018, and the Malibu Fire in 2007 were either directly caused by, or greatly impacted by the presence of electric and utility poles in the surrounding area. 

“Homeowners in Laguna Beach are having a hard time renewing their fire insurance because we are a high-risk fire area,” explains O’Neil. “And these telecommunications companies do not provide insurance for their cell sites. If there was a fire caused by one of these cell sites, who takes liability?”

If you’re interested in learning more about the 5G and wireless issues happening in Laguna Beach, you can visit ROARLB.com and sign the petition. The ROAR Laguna Beach team has gotten positive responses from the council for their work and dedication to the cause. “Our group is growing,” says O’Neil. “We don’t want this.” 

Logan Cross is a writer, editor, and dancer based in Los Angeles. You can find her scrolling through her own Twitter likes and listening to every fictional podcast her phone allows her to download. You can also follow her on Instagram.

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