
Orange
mobile phone company agreed to remove its cell phone
mast -- dubbed the “Tower of Doom” -- from the
top of a five-story London apartment building after
seven of its residents got cancer.
The cancer rate among those living on the top floor,
where residents from five of the eight flats were
affected, is 20 percent -- 10 times the national
average.
The mast, along with a second mast owned by Vodafone,
was put up in 1994. Since then, residents have
battled cancer, headaches and other health problems
they say are caused by radiation from the masts.
Three residents have died from cancer, while another
four are still fighting the disease.
The World Health Organization and other agencies say
there is no risk of radiation from cell phone masts,
so the companies had no legal obligation to remove
the masts.
In August 2007, after a long legal battle, Orange
agreed to move the mast from the building -- to
another area near homes, a public library and a
primary school.
Vodafone has no plans to remove their mast from the
building, and is working on securing a new long-term
lease.