Electric and magnetic field reduction and research: A report to the Washington State Legislature

Increasingly, citizens of Washington State are expressing their concerns about possible adverse health effects of electric and magnetic fields (EMF) from electric utility power systems. A number of legislative proposals over the past several years have prompted governmental officials to evaluate available options for reducing electric and magnetic field strengths surrounding these systems (with a concentration on magnetic fields) or otherwise manage public exposure to power lines by increasing land use controls and setbacks for new development. Unsuccessful proposals brought before the Washington Legislature include 2 mG magnetic field limits for new transmission lines at the right-of-way edge; a temporary moratorium on transmission construction; requirements for providing public information on EMF; and expansion of the role of state governmental agencies in transmission siting and design. A successful Whatcom County initiative limits the voltage of new transmission to 115 kV in all but industrial land use zones, an action likely to have an unintended outcome of increasing magnetic fields in some areas. It is clear that better communication is needed about possible options for EMF management, costs and consequences, despite the fact scientific evidence on the existence of human health effects is inconclusive. This paper describes the work that Washington State undertook in 1990-92 in response to Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6771 establishing the Electric Transmission Research Needs Task Force. The Task Force was directed to report to the Legislature on possible exposure reduction methods; recommending engineering research that could lead to more effective approaches in the future