MONTPELIER – A legislative committee working on developing a Vermont-wide ban on 5G technology is calling for a complete ban on all such transmissions in populated areas of the state. “The more we looked into the effects of non-ionizing radiation, the more we realized groups like EMF Safety in Vermont were on to something,” said one legislator, who asked not to be named due to the confidential nature of the public hearings to date. “5G is not even the strongest non-ionizing radiation Vermonters are exposed to on a daily basis. That would be sunshine. While we have a relatively low number of sunny days compared to most states, if 5G represents a future risk, sunshine poses a direct risk today. Something needs to be done.”

According to staffers working on the draft legislation, sunshine will be banned on all residential streets except between Nov 1 and Apr 1, when the sun is low in the sky and days last only a few hours, and to allow natural snowfall to accumulate. During all other times, sunshine will only be permitted where solar arrays are located, crops are planted, or established forests have no trail access. To accomplish this, legislators envision construction of a series of massive poles 1000 feet tall to which strong opaque material will be attached to form a series of tent-like protective covers. One staff attorney stated that the costs of these towers may be offset by providing low cost housing in the bottom 60 to 100 feet of each tower. The structures will be exempt from the Act 250 process.

The legislature is expected to ask Gov. Scott to include a $29.4 million appropriation to cover the initial design work and implementation of a test area, likely Dummerston.