OCTOBER 23, 2019
CHUCK TAYLOR
The Louisiana House unanimously voted to have the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Health study the effects of 5G technology on the environment and public health. While this new technology is being put in place in cities all across the country designed to make life more convenient with cell phones, driverless cars, pollution sensors, etc., there have been some concerns about its impact on humans and the environment. In spite of these concerns, the technology is being put in place; at a rapid rate in some places.
The bill the Louisiana Legislature passed unanimously, states that 5G “may pose risks to the environment due to increased radio-frequency radiation exposure.” The resolution also notes that “the insurance industry may have placed exclusions in policies to exempt damage caused by this technology,” meaning that various insurance companies won’t cover damages that are related to electromagnetic frequency radiation.
The results of the study are to be submitted to the Louisiana House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment as well as the House Committee on Health and Welfare no later than sixty days prior to the start of the 2020 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature.