Pennsylvania Lawmakers Hold Philadelphia Hearing On Cell Phone Safety Labels
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Members of the Pennsylvania Democratic Policy Committee were in town today at an informational hearing about cell phones and your health.
House Bill 1408 has already been introduced in Harrisburg; it would require warning labels on cell phones listing the possible health risks of microwave radiation emissions.
Committee members were on the Drexel University campus to hear testimony from experts for and against the warning labels.
Citing studies of possible health risks and cell phone use was Dr. Ronald Herberman, founding director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (back to camera at left in photo).
"I can't tell this committee that they are definitely dangerous, but I certainly cannot tell you that they are safe," he said.
Gerard Keegan, director of state legislative affairs for CTIA, The Wireless Association, testified against the warning labels.
"We find this legislation unnecessary," he told the lawmakers. "We think that it rejects the FDA findings on this issue that there is no risk to any wireless user, including to children and teenagers. And we do believe it conflicts with federal law."
Today's hearing was the last of a series of three field hearings which began Tuesday in Philadelphia. The first topic was palliative care. Yesterday's hearing was about state cemetery polices -- in particular concerning the closed Mount Moriah Cemetery on Cobbs Creek Parkway.
Reported by John McDevitt, KYW Newsradio 1060
