Morton Miller, a botanist said "it is my considered professional opinion that the current state of the art with respect to the potential of adverse biological effects from the electric and magnetic field associated with the proposed transmission line is adequate to ensure the public that there will be no unreasonable risks to health or safety or harm to the environment as a result of electric and magnetic fields resulting from the operation of these lines."
Solomon Michaelson, a veterinarian, said "there is no demonstrable biological effect which may be hazardous to health or safety or to the general biological environment as a result of the presence of the proposed line's electric and magnetic fields."
Herman Schwan said "it is my firm conclusion that exposure to the proposed line's electric and magnetic fields will not be harmful or unsafe."
I asked the NRC staff how they determined that their experts were unbiased and qualified, but they told me that the NRC never released any information except for final reports. Thus, how they evaluated the potential problem of bias and how they ascertained expertise was to be their secret. At that point I learned, for the first time, that the NRC is not covered by the Freedom-of-Information laws, even though NAS is a corporation chartered by Congress.
The NRC consistently refused to provide information to anyone regarding the activities of the EMF committee, for example, during his testimony in the New York hearing on behalf of the power companies, Morton Miller said that he had been given "three feet" of scientific material by the NAS in connection with his role on the committee. Alfred Kahn, chairman of the Public Service Commission, wrote to Handler requesting the material. But the NRC told Kahn that they would not provide the material. Dr. Becker thought that Handler's decision was contemptuous. He told the Sanguine Committee in a letter that it was completely inappropriate for the NRC to refuse scientific information to government officials who needed it to make good decisions in the public interest.