When the Radiation Control for Health and Safety Act (Public Law 90-602) was signed into law in 1968, it was a milestone moment for protecting public health against radiation hazards. At its core, the law mandated comprehensive research, regulation, and ongoing safety assessments of radiation-emitting devices, with a primary goal: safeguarding the American public from dangerous and unnecessary exposure to radiation.
Yet today, over half a century later, this crucial legislation remains critically unfulfilled—particularly when it comes to one of the most ubiquitous radiation sources in modern life: wireless radiation.
Understanding Public Law 90-602
Signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on October 18, 1968, Public Law 90-602 established federal standards for radiation-emitting electronic products, explicitly designed to protect the public from exposure risks associated with these technologies. It recognized that without stringent federal oversight and ongoing research, radiation-emitting products could pose severe and potentially catastrophic health risks.
The law made it the responsibility of federal authorities—particularly the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—to evaluate, research, and control risks from both ionizing and non-ionizing radiation sources. Non-ionizing radiation, such as radiofrequency radiation emitted from wireless devices today, clearly falls under this mandate.
The Law’s Critical Objectives:
- Continuous scientific research to determine potential health hazards.
- Regular updates to safety standards based on current scientific understanding.
- Protection of public health from short- and long-term radiation exposure.
Decades of Neglect and Violation
The reality, unfortunately, has been drastically different.
Today, the promise and power of Public Law 90-602 have been systematically undermined, especially regarding exposure to radiofrequency radiation (RF-EMF) emitted by cell phones, Wi-Fi routers, and cell towers. Despite clear and mounting evidence of biological harm from chronic, non-thermal radiation exposures, regulatory agencies—especially the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)—have essentially abandoned this federal mandate.
The FCC and a Betrayal of Public Trust
In 1996, nearly three decades after Public Law 90-602 was passed, the FCC adopted exposure guidelines for wireless devices and infrastructure. However, rather than following the spirit of this critical health and safety law, these guidelines were hastily implemented under heavy industry influence and are fundamentally inadequate.
Here’s how the FCC has directly undermined the intent of Public Law 90-602:
- Ignoring Non-thermal Effects: The FCC’s exposure guidelines, unchanged since 1996, consider only thermal effects of radiation (i.e., tissue heating). Non-thermal effects, such as DNA damage, oxidative stress, reproductive harm, and neurodevelopmental impacts, have been categorically excluded from consideration—despite decades of documented scientific evidence.
- Rejecting Research Findings: By 1996, extensive research already existed confirming harmful non-thermal radiation effects, including:
- CTIA’s $25 million Wireless Technology Research (WTR) Program (funded by the telecom industry), which showed biological harm from exposure to cell phone radiation.
- Dr. Henry Lai’s landmark studies in the 1990s, documenting DNA strand breaks from low-level, non-thermal RF radiation exposure.
- Military research, including studies by Dr. Arthur Guy for the U.S. Air Force (1984), demonstrating clear biological impacts from EMR.
Instead of integrating this evidence, the FCC guidelines deliberately adopted a fraudulent “thermal-only” standard, effectively dismissing decades of scientific data highlighting risks of chronic, low-intensity exposure.
Violations of the Radiation Control Act
Public Law 90-602 explicitly requires ongoing updates to radiation standards and continuous investigation into radiation’s health impacts. The FCC’s actions—or rather, inactions—stand as a clear violation of this law:
- No Regular Updates: FCC guidelines from 1996 remain unchanged today, despite major advances in understanding biological impacts from non-thermal RF radiation.
- Defunding of Key Research: In a clear violation of the mandate, the Biden-Harris administration defunded critical studies by the National Toxicology Program (NTP), which had revealed “clear evidence” of cancer associated with RF radiation exposure.
The resulting gap in research has left the public and policymakers reliant on outdated, inadequate, and scientifically invalid safety limits—precisely the situation Public Law 90-602 was enacted to prevent.
A Legal Vacuum: Section 704 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996
Compounding the FCC’s dereliction is Section 704 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, passed the same year the FCC established its radiation standards. Section 704 made it illegal for communities to challenge cell tower placements on health grounds, provided the towers complied with these already insufficient FCC guidelines.
- First Amendment violation: Citizens lost the right to challenge the placement of potentially hazardous towers based on health concerns.
- Tenth Amendment violation: Local governments lost autonomy and power to protect their communities, a constitutional overreach of federal authority.
This created a legal environment that openly defies Public Law 90-602’s intent to prioritize ongoing health research and public protection, allowing wireless infrastructure to proliferate unchecked.
Growing Evidence Ignored
The evidence contradicting FCC claims of RF safety is overwhelming:
- National Toxicology Program (NTP) Study (2018): A $30 million study providing “clear evidence” that exposure to RF radiation (2G/3G frequencies) caused cancer in rodents.
- Ramazzini Institute Study: Similar findings at exposure levels far below the current FCC standards.
- BioInitiative Report: Over 1,500 studies demonstrating biological effects and health risks at non-thermal levels of RF exposure, including cognitive impairment, reproductive damage, and neurological impacts.
- Oxidative Stress Studies: Demonstrating biological damage mechanisms distinct from heating effects.
Each of these landmark studies independently confirms the inadequacy and outright inaccuracy of the FCC’s thermal-only approach.
Consequences of Ignoring Non-Thermal Risks
By refusing to acknowledge non-thermal effects, the FCC guidelines have allowed chronic radiation exposure in schools, homes, and workplaces to proliferate unchecked:
- Increased health risks for children: Children absorb more radiation than adults, putting them at greater risk of developing disorders from chronic exposure.
- Rising chronic diseases: Autism, ADHD, neurodevelopmental disorders, cognitive impairments, and reproductive disorders correlate strongly with rising RF exposures.
- Intergenerational genetic risks: DNA damage from RF radiation could cause heritable mutations that contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders like autism or ADHD.
The Solution: Return to the Law’s Original Intent
Restoring compliance with Public Law 90-602 is an urgent priority. Policymakers must:
- Repeal Section 704 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, returning autonomy to local governments to protect their residents based on sound science.
- Restart and expand funding for the National Toxicology Program’s RF radiation research to continually evaluate risks.
- Mandate safer wireless technology: Require compatibility with Li-Fi (light-based wireless) indoors and transition to space-based broadband systems, thus reducing or eliminating the need for harmful cell towers near homes and schools.
The government previously stepped in to protect public health from tobacco smoke and automobile emissions. We must now do the same for electromagnetic radiation. The technology to eliminate these risks exists—only political will is lacking.
Conclusion
The Radiation Control for Health and Safety Act of 1968 was groundbreaking legislation intended to protect generations of Americans from radiation harm. Over 50 years later, the spirit of this vital law is being undermined by outdated FCC standards and industry influence.
Americans must demand adherence to this law, enforce rigorous safety research, and mandate safer alternatives like Li-Fi. By acting decisively, we can safeguard future generations from the unseen dangers of electromagnetic radiation and reclaim our right to a healthy, safe environment.
It’s not just about updating guidelines—it’s about justice, constitutional rights, and the health of our children.
It’s time to enforce Public Law 90-602 as intended. Our health depends on it.