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Lake Forest Residents Voice Concerns Over 5G Towers

LAKE FOREST (CBSLA) — Dozens gathered in Lake Forest Wednesday at a meeting to share their concerns about potential health impacts related to 5G technology.

"I'm horrified, to be honest with you," Christina Rich, a parent at the meeting, said. "I don't want a cell tower anywhere near our house. They don't belong in the neighborhoods. They haven't been proven to be safe."

Dafna Tachover, an expert on the health effects of wireless technology radiation, spoke at the meeting.

The high-frequency waves used by 5G technology would allow people to download high-definition films in minutes and have internet speeds that are 20 times faster that 4G technology. The downside is that for 5G to work as intended, companies need to install cell towers close together.

In order to do that, Tachover said companies are now trying to get access to public rights-of-way so there is no delay in the future as the cell sites go up.

"I'm concerned about the distance to my kids, to the schools in our community and the overall effects and lack of regulation around it," Monica Draghichi, a parent at the meeting, said.

Tachover showed studies at the meeting she said were done by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and from the military that showed a clear connection between radiation and serious illnesses. However, the Federal Communications Commission has not made that connection.

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