Environmental safety issues involving electromagnetic fields in Manitoba, Canada

The province of Manitoba follows Canadian guidelines when assessing situations involving human exposure to electric and magnetic fields. These guides are similar to those followed by many other nations and are derived from the recommendations of expert technical groups. When specific guides have not yet been promulgated by Canadian authorities, Manitoba adopts the recommendations of the International Commission on non-ionizing radiation protection (ICNIRP). Emotions can be heightened when members of the public believe that they may be exposed, involuntarily, to electromagnetic fields from powerlines, antennas and other sources. The public often has a wide range of questions and is not necessarily satisfied by knowing that exposures are below current numerical guideline limits. Various situations involving public interactions have been investigated, including the routing of 60 Hz high voltage, commercial electric powerlines near a residential development and the placement of cell phone antennas atop an urban university building in the city of Winnipeg. Experience with the public interaction, and some measurement results, are reviewed. A brief discussion of other controversial situations, including one in Vancouver, Canada is also provided. Some practical lessons are summarized.