Promises of an inevitable disaster
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Last winter, a trench of several miles long was opened under the bicycle path running alongside the D79 road, from Les Casernes beach up to Hossegor. This trench was intended to bury large cables (aroud 10 inches wide) which were visible for one month of actual work, and that can only be intended for the very high-voltage power lines project [1] of the french operator for electricity transport (Rte). If that is indeed the case, this means that 400,000V will run just 3 feet under the passage of public users on the bicycle path, all over a continuous distance of several miles.
Regarding environmental and, especially, health impact, biological effects of exposure to low frequency electromagnetic fields (EMF) have been reviewed by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and other relevant expert groups. The risks are clearly identified and come from transient nervous system responses including peripheral (PNS) and central nerve stimulation (CNS), the induction of retinal phosphenes and possible effects on some aspects of brain function. Informed organizations and committees clearly state to limit EMF exposure to provide protection against these adverse health effects [2].
However it should be properly measured and realized that existing conventional power lines are located 30 to 300 feet above and in sparsely populated environments. In the specific case of this Rte project, power lines are in much greater human proximity : 3 feet under a bicycle path which implies a long and continuous exposure to electromagnetic radiation (several miles), for a high number of users, potentially very large during summer, and to the highest power levels (400,000V). No investigation has ever been conducted on the effects of a such a deep exposure to power lines, so close, so intense, over such a long continuous distance and at such a large scale. Direct massive exposure to such an EMF magnitude and as a matter of fact, without any prior, independent, objective and serious risk assessment study, is beyond irresponsibility. Especially, coming from public institutions, this is no less than a total negation of public health, safety and rights of citizens and users.
But there also exists other serious concerns. It is very probable that the magnitude of the EMF generated by such extra-high-voltage levels, straight under a bicycle path, can also interfere with the EM devices of popular modes of transport such as electric bikes and scooters. The question is to what extent it is the case as it is quite predictable that such massive EM radiations impact electric motors in very close proximity, and be the cause of many accidents involving families, children, teenagers and cycling amateurs.
If 400,000V power lines really lie beneath the bicycle path for several miles, this infrastructure project represents an irresponsible menace to public health and safety creating also a major accident hazard. By explicitly and publicly notifying Rte, and public authorities involved with the administrative approvals given to these public facilities as well (the French Ministry for ecological Transition, Prefecture of Landes, MACS Urban Communities of Maremne Adour Côte-Sud, Municipalities of Seignosse, Hossegor and Capbreton), of the severity of the threats involved, we are contributing here to a public notice which will serve to hold them strictly liable for any accidents or issues arising from the use of this bicycle path. Having been explicitly informed by a few local initiatives, they will be held directly accountable with no possibility of denying that prior notice was given to them and / or of improper assessment of the risks.
Sign and share the petition to stop this project :
https://www.mypetition.org/petition/nature-environnement/passage-impose-ligne-tht-landes/203261
