RF Safety Program

The FCC is required by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 to evaluate the effects of RF emissions from FCC-regulated transmitters on the quality of the human environment. The Commission's RF emissions rules are designed to protect public health by limiting the maximum amount of RF emissions to which a licensee's facilities, in combination with other sources of RF emissions, may cause workers and the general public to be exposed. These rules are based on standards developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, Inc. and adopted by the American National Standards Institute, as well as guidelines recommended by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements. The rules were coordinated with and are supported by federal agencies with health and safety responsibilities, including the Environmental Protection Agency, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Last year, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed the Commission's RF guidelines in Cellular Phone Taskforce v. FCC.

On June 2, 2000, the Commission and its Local and State Government Advisory Committee (LSGAC) released the Local Official's Guide to Transmitting Antenna RF Emission Safety: Rules, Procedures, and Practical Guidance ("Local Official's Guide"; pdf - Word). The Local Official's Guide provides information and voluntary guidance to local governments to facilitate their ability to devise reasonable and effective procedures for assuring that antenna facilities located within their boundaries comply with Commission limits for human exposure to RF emissions. It provides a summary of the Commission's RF exposure guidelines and the Commission's procedures for ensuring compliance and enforcing its rules. It also provides guidance to local governments attempting to determine if a radio transmission

RF Emissions

RF Guidelines

On June 2, 2000, the Commission and the Local and State Government Advisory Committee jointly issued a Local Government Official's Guide to Transmitting Antenna RF Emission Safety. The guide is designed to provide local communities with a greater understanding of RF emission issues and comprehensive information and guidance in devising efficient procedures for assuring that local antenna facilities comply with the Commission's limits for human exposure to RF electromagnetic fields. It is designed to answer in clear, understandable language the questions of elected officials and local residents alike on the impact of antenna towers on community health.

• Guide to Transmitting Antenna RF Emission Safety: pdf - Word

On November 17, 2000, the Commission issued Report and Order FCC 00-408, Procedures for Reviewing Requests for Relief From State and Local Regulations Pursuant to Section 332(c)(7)(B)(v) of the Communications Act of 1934: pdf - Word

See also http://www.fcc.gov/oet/rfsafety/

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