Created: 2/18/00

New York on Powerline Hazards

In July, 1974 the New York Public Service Commission (PSC) was conducting a hearing on the safety of high-voltage powerlines, and I was asked by the PSC Staff to testify on behalf of the Staff regarding what I perceived to be health risks due to powerlines. I submitted written testimony, which was served on the power companies in October, 1974 (Marino-1).

The hearing was recessed for a year to allow the power companies to find expert witnesses. The reports of their experts were distributed in November, 1975. At the same time the PSC served the power companies with an updated version of my testimony (Marino-2). In 1976 I was cross-examined by the power companies for 10 days.

Thereafter, the power companies served rebuttal testimony in which their experts attacked my testimony. In response, the PSC served the power companies with my rebuttal testimony in which I attacked their experts (Marino-3). I was cross-examined on my rebuttal testimony for 3 additional days.

After the testimony phase of the hearing was finished, lawyers for the power companies and for the staff of the Public Service Commission filed legal briefs in an attempt to persuade the Commission that their respective views of the evidence were correct. The brief of the staff of the PSC argued that powerline electromagnetic fields would affect human health, but I thought a stronger position was warranted. Consequently, representing myself, I submitted a legal brief in which I summarized the scientific evidence and drew legal conclusions (Marino-4). The lawyers for the power companies thereafter submitted a reply brief in which they attacked my brief. Consequently, I submitted a reply brief which attacked their initial brief (Marino-5).

Health Risks | Law & Public Policy

34516