Summary
This document is a public comment submitted to the Leelanau Township Board on August 13, 2026, opposing the installation of a cell phone tower on Braman Hill due to concerns about radiofrequency radiation health risks.
Public Comments
Robert Carroll, a retired ER/ICU critical care RN who later worked as a healthcare administrator for General Motors, spoke to the Board about his concerns regarding a proposed cell tower on Braman Hill. He shared his professional background, including work at University of Michigan medical center and serving as GM's representative on BCBSM benefits committees for auto industry retirees and workers.
Carroll drew on personal and family health history to illustrate that scientific and medical understanding evolves, citing his own skin cancer diagnoses (basal, squamous, and pre-melanoma) attributed to childhood sun exposure misconceptions, and his father's fatal small cell lung cancer linked to smoking encouraged during WWII military service.
He stated he has low trust in health studies and guidance from the current federal Administration in Washington DC. He referenced an FCC "Consumer Guide" to Radio Frequency Fields regarding cellular antenna sites, last reviewed 10/15/2019, and a NIEHS/NIH article on electromagnetic frequency research, noting studies on cell phone radiation were conducted on rats and mice in 1999 and that additional current research is needed.
Carroll proposed that township officials not allow a cell tower to be built on Braman Hill, arguing there are insufficient current studies demonstrating safety for children, adult users of the hill, and nearby residents. This was a recommendation from the speaker; no Board decision or response is recorded in the document.
The document also includes a table, attributed to Carroll, listing estimated federal agency staffing cuts (e.g., Health & Human Services 28.2K, 33%; IRS/Treasury 25K, 28%; USAID 8.5K, 85%; EPA 6.5K, 39%; Veterans Affairs 5.2K, 48%), sourced from OPM FedScope data, AP, and Federal News Network, though its connection to the cell tower comment is not explained in the text.
Infrastructure Projects
The central infrastructure issue raised is a proposed cell phone tower on Braman Hill. No decision by the Board is documented; the only input recorded is Robert Carroll's public comment urging officials not to approve the tower due to unresolved health and safety questions about radiofrequency exposure.
Action Items
- Robert Carroll requested that township officials decline to allow a cell tower on Braman Hill, citing insufficient current research on radiofrequency safety for children, adults, and nearby residents.