Transmission lines don't cause cancer, Australian expert says

JAKARTA (JP): An Australian electrical engineer dismissed yesterday the assertion that living under high voltage electric cables could be harmful to health, despite a compelling study that asserts that such a correlation exists.

"Adverse health effects from magnetic fields have not been established," Paul Flanagan of the Pacific Power Corporation based in New South Wales, told a seminar on the environmental impact of transmission lines.

The seminar was organized by the state electricity company PLN, which is currently facing a Rp 5 billion ($2.38 million) lawsuit from residents in Gresik, East Java, who claimed that their health has been affected by the construction of PLN's high voltage transmission lines above their homes.

The 92 Gresik residents are armed with findings of study conducted by Swedish scientists which indicates that electric transmission is hazardous to humans, especially children, because it could lead to leukemia.

This assertion was later supported by an American biochemist from the Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide who visited Indonesia in early February and lent credence to the Swedish findings.

Flannagan, who is the main speaker at the seminar, said that no current research indicated a direct, necessary link between cancer and magnetic fields.

He pointed out to the findings of past research conducted by various international organizations including the World Health Organization and the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection.

In the summary of his paper, Flanagan pointed out that adverse health effects have not yet been established but legitimate scientific questions have been raised and could only be answered through high quality research and informed discussion.

He also acknowledged that there is a significant level of community concern regarding the issue of whether or not transmission lines are hazardous to health.

Dr. Pandu Riono from the Center for Health Research of the University of Indonesia, who was a participant at yesterday's seminar, argued against the Australian engineer saying that his argument only considers cancers and disregards other possible health risks.

"How about other problems such as high stress which is caused by constant fear from living under those high voltage cables?" Pandu asked.

"According an American medical doctor with whom I consulted in the past, such stress is only a stimulus for the imbalances in the endocrine system," Flannagan answered back.

He admitted however that more advanced researches might rectify his argument.

He also acknowledged that, cancer and other health problems aside, the development of power transmission lines will bear inevitable costs on society.

"I can understand if the criticism against erecting transmission lines near residential areas is based on other considerations such as local norms or customs," he told The Jakarta Post during the break.

Flannagan also praised PLN's "conservative" stand on following the safety procedures regarding the building of transmission lines around residential areas. (04)