The Electric Wilderness

The Electric Wilderness is an exposé of the politics of science as it was and is being applied in New York State's assessment of large powerline health effects. Clearly and concisely written, this is a history worth reading by anyone concerned about the potential dangers of electromagnetic fields.Spurred by the concerns of an engineer working on a 765 kilovolt (kV) power line proposed by Niagara Mohawk and Rochester Gas & Electric and a Power Authority (PASNY) plan for a major 765 kV link with Canada, the state Public Service Commission (PSC) established a hearing process in 1974 to determine if such powerlines could cause adverse health effects.The central witnesses in the hearings were Andrew Marino, a research scientist, and Robert O. Becker. Becker was, at the time, director of the research laboratoryof the Veterans Administration Hospital in Syracuse and Marino's boss.Becker is a pioneer in studying the biological effects of electromagnetic fields. His work through the years convinced him that electromagnetic radiation such as that emanating from energized powerlines would have an effect upon the body's electrical signals. Under Becker, Marino has conducted specific studies that demonstrated stunted growth in mice that had been bred and raised in electromagnetic fields similar to those under a 765 kV powerline.PASNY and the other utilities who decided to participate in the case brought in their hired guns to refute Marino and Becker. The outright bias of the pro-utility witnesses and the credibility they were given by the Administrative Law Judge hearing the case were shameful. Yet some serious vested interests wanted the PSC hearing to come to naught.First, the Power Authority did not want health effects proven. They had been so confident that the PSC would rubber stamp their application to build a 765 kV line from the Canadian border near Massena to Marcy near Utica that they had actually begun purchasing materials for the line and negotiating contracts with Quebec for electricity before the PSC had granted them a license.Second, electric utilities in New York and around the country were not interested in a finding that powerlines might cause health effects. The impact on their industry would be far reaching. The utilities were unperturbed that after 80 years of use there had yet to be a systematic study of potential health effects of overhead powerlines. They exerted the power of their trade associations to present a united front against Marino and Becker.Finally the U.S. Navy, not a direct participant in the PSC case, was a player in the controversy. The Navy has a history of suppressing evidence and abandoning research that has demonstrated that electromagnetic fields cause health effects.The Electric Wilderness traces the history ofthe subverted research and the attempts to discredit Becker and Marino throughout the PSC hearing. It is a chilling tale that condemns the ethics and intellectual integrity of many leaders of the science establishment in the United States.As a result of their testimony not only did Marino and Becker lose their ability to get grants or have their work published in trade journals, but the entire research lab at the Syracuse V.A. hospital was shut down.In the end, the PSC could not completely ignore the facts of the matter. Marino had uncovered over 40 previous studies that linked electromagnetic radiation to health effects. While the PSC did not give Marino the satisfaction of citing his work as a reason for their decision, they did establish a five-year, $5 million study of potential health effects. The Electric Wilderness is an important and well written book. It tells how powerful special interests can control the output of so-called scientific investigation. It also demonstrates how important it is for individuals with integrity to persist in seeking the truth. - Dick Hermans, Pine Plains