EMF Quiet Zones: Free From Electronic Harassment In USA & Worldwide
EMF-free communities are springing up in EMF Quiet Zones — areas of low , (ideally zero) electrosmog — across the world as the numbers of people becoming aware of their increasing electrosensitivity is growing. EMF Quiet Zones: Free From Electronic Harassment In USA & Worldwide
Electrosensitivity (EHS) and Multiple Chemcial Sensitivity (MCS) frequently are found together, and so they are generally compatible community neighbors who retreat to EMF Quiet Zones from the advance of the ever expanding onslaught of environmental pollutants, including the invisible pollution of radio wave technology, such as celltower radiation, WiFi , etc., Although many EHS and MCS sufferers tend to keep a low-tech low profile out of necessity, here are a few of the more media/internet visible communities that invite contact.
EMF Communities and EMF Quiet Zones Listings
Interested In Other EMF Communities Across The USA?
USA Map of EHS and MCS Communities: Here you will find a growing map intended to help track down USA locations where EHS and MCS Communities are up and running or in the works. It is also a resource for identifying areas where EHS individuals are living in relatively low ambient EMF environments, even though they are not an organized community designed for that purpose.
United States National Radio Quiet Zone – Green Bank, West Virginia
The county still hasn’t progressed to constant connectivity. That’s because it sits within a zone designed to protect a sophisticated radio telescope at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory from interference. The Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope is the world’s largest fully steerable radio telescope.
Radio telescopes work by tracking and reading the energy waves that come from stars or gases, but they have to be located in sparsely populated areas to avoid electromagnetic interference.
The Green Bank Telescope looks like a giant dish. It’s as tall as the Washington Monument and large enough to fit 2 acres of land in it.
“It’s a huge collecting area and it’s what allows us to see these incredibly small energies that we’re trying to study,” says Karen O’Neil, who oversees the site. “The types of energies we look at are less than the energy of a single snowflake falling on the earth.”
The energy of Wi-Fi or cell signals can confuse or interfere with the telescope’s readings — and it can trip the receivers at the government’s nearby Sugar Grove research facility, which is also in the zone.
“Because we’re looking at these very, very faint signals, we need to live in a very, very quiet area. In the same way where if you had an optical telescope, it needs to be high on the mountain away from other light,” O’Neil says.
So a federal quiet zone law and an accompanying state law — the West Virginia Radio Astronomy Zoning Act — combine to keep the area very radio quiet. No interference is allowed.
“We still have communications. I mean, it’s just … older. Dial-up telephones. We still have phone booths,” says Chuck Niday, an engineer for the National Radio Astronomy Observatory and a volunteer at Allegheny Mountain Radio.
Emergency communications are allowed in the zone, as is ham radio, a hobby among a set of West Virginians who chitchat or coordinate plans over their ham radios as they would their cellphones — if they had cellphones.
“Last year the big windstorm we had, we were without power for some days. And without a lot of communications. All the phone lines were down, so we had different spots around the county where we could talk from one end of the county to the other, and maybe relay about a store being open or somewhere having ice,” said Pat Schaffner, a Green Bank native.
To keep the zone protected from signals that could confuse the telescope, Niday and others from the NRAO drive the 20-mile radius around the Green Bank Telescope weekly, policing for possible interference.
“Say someone has a Wi-Fi service set up near the observatory that’s causing us interference, we can ask them to shut it off and most of the time they do,” he says.
But keeping the noise down around here is getting harder these days.
“If you think back to 1956 when this site was first built, there were issues with radio noise, but most of those issues came about through cars and spark plugs and power lines. And now we’re living in a society where everything is wireless,” O’Neil says.
And constant connectivity has become a consumer and cultural demand, as one of the biggest employers in the county — Snowshoe Ski Resort — knows well. The resort happens to sit right inside the Quiet Zone. On busy weekends, it hosts as many out-of-towners as there are residents in Pocahontas County. So Murphy has to get creative to get customers cell service without running afoul of the astronomers.
“We have to find a way to communicate that doesn’t interfere with them,” says George Murphy, Snowshoe’s IT director.
This summer, Murphy got a system of shoebox-size antennas installed in the resort’s retail village. Using something called DAS technology, which involves short-range cell receivers, he brought cellphone service to a pocket of Snowshoe for the first time ever.
“This was huge,” he says of the limited cell service. “From the day I started here, I was working on this project with several different companies.”
Change seems to be in the mountain air. But for most of the area, life remains slower paced. Instant messaging and texting remain something Niday sees on television and when he travels out of state.
“It’s nice to be able to pull something out of your pocket and send a message to someone and get a response within 30 seconds or so. But I don’t know that it’s that necessary. At least it’s not around here,” he says.
Around here, folks seem content to stay disconnected. At least for now.
Originally created by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 1958 to protect the radio telescopes in Green Bank and Sugar Grove, the United States National Radio Quiet Zone has become a safe haven for many who suffer from electromagnetic hypersensitivity. It includes 13,000 square miles that spans West Virginia, Virginia, and a small part of Maryland. Due to the sensitivity of the telescopes, wireless technology is banned within the zone, and radio, cellular, and other broadcast transmissions are restricted to certain frequencies. The few allowed transmitters operate at reduced power using highly directional antennas. This makes it an ideal refuge for many severe EHS sufferers who find themselves able to live more of a normal life inside the Quiet Zone.
Buyer Of Former West Virginia Navy Base Announces His Plans
PENDLETON COUNTY, W.Va. (WHSV)
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has announced that Robert Pike, the man who made the highest bid for Sugar Grove Station at $4,010,009.90, is going to repurpose the former naval base into a healthcare campus.
According to the GSA, Pike is working with the Mellivora Partners from Birmingham, Alabama, to turn the 122-acre facility into a campus that will focus on the healthcare needs of active duty military personnel as well as residents of West Virginia.
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UPDATE (Dec. 1, 2016):
After a second auction for Sugar Grove Station – the former Naval Information Operations Center support base in Pendleton County – the highest bid has been publicly announced.
Sugar Grove was initially auctioned by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) in February and sold in July, but the first anonymous buyer was unable to complete the transaction.
So, in September, the former Navy base was put up for sale in a different kind of bidding process.
Now, on December 1, the GSA has publicly opened all sealed bids and announced the highest bidder: Robert Pike, who submitted a bid of $4,010,009.90.
GSA’s Regional Administrator, Sara Manzano-Diaz stated, “We are excited to have Sugar Grove Station facility repurposed and put back into use within the community. GSA’s disposal program is a win-win for all, enhancing local community development and serving as an economic catalyst, all while saving tax dollars.”
Sugar Grove Station was closed in September 2015. You can learn more about the complex in the original story below, as well as in the ‘Related Stories’ section of this article.
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ORIGINAL STORY (Sept. 14):
Sugar Grove Station, the former Naval Information Operations Center support base in Pendleton County, West Virginia, is up for sale again.
—BACKGROUND—
In February of this year, online bidding began for the property, and on July 25, the auction came to an end with a bid of $11.2 million from an anonymous buyer.
However, the bidders were, according to the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), “unable to complete the transaction.”
Therefore, the GSA has now announced a new plan to re-offer the Sugar Grove Station through a mail-in bid process.
—THE NEW SALE—
GSA will conduct a sealed bid competitive sale in which bidders mail in bids and bid deposits to GSA prior to the designated bid opening date and time. On the bid opening date, all bids are publicly opened and the highest bidder is declared.
An open house will be held in mid-October, and, following that, a bid opening date will be set by GSA in early November.
—THE PROPERTY ITSELF—
The property was formerly a Navy Information Operations Command (NIOC) base with approximately 445,135 square feet of improvements, including 90 dwelling units, along with various office, maintenance and support facilities. These improvements were constructed in the late-1950s to the present. They have been fully maintained and were occupied by military personnel until September 30, 2015. The site area is 122.85 acres of unzoned land and is located within a United States National Radio Quiet Zone.
Before closing last year, the site was being used for intelligence gathering.
The facility is located in Potomac Highlands, and within a three-hour drive of our Nation’s capital.
—WHO TO CONTACT IF YOU’RE AN INTERESTED BUYER—
Buyers interested in obtaining additional information about the property may contact Susan Webb at 404-331-9610 or via email at susanb.webb@gsa.gov.
- Almost every radio station disappeared, too, except for Allegheny Mountain Radio, which broadcasts at a low enough frequency to avoid being banned.“We didn’t realize the rest of the world was getting connected and staying connected constantly, via phones and computers and all that,” said radio host Caleb Diller, who grew up in Pocahontas County, W.Va. “So we were kinda back in time a little bit. We hadn’t progressed to that.”
- There are no physical signs you’ve entered the National Radio Quiet Zone, a 13,000-square-mile area that covers the eastern half of West Virginia. But the silence gives you a signal. Somewhere around the Virginia-West Virginia state line, the periodic buzzes and pings of our smartphones stopped.”Zero [service]. Searching,” said photographer John Poole, who traveled with me to the zone.
The ‘Quiet’ ZonesThe circle represents the area protected by the West Virginia Radio Astronomy Zoning Act, which is the quietest part of the National Radio Quiet Zone, represented by the square. - The Tabauche Refugium -Utah Colorado Borderlands –
Land inventoried by Smart Shelter Network as a service for individuals with EHS and MCS to find shelter, offering a variety of options from land purchase to land stewardship job, and more.
- Snowflake MCS/EHS Community – Snowflake, Arizona
This community is comprised of a few dozen ES and MCS people who live in close proximity. The area is mostly rural land generally zoned for 20 acres per house, so there is little electro-pollution from neighbors. The levels of electrosmog in Snowflake are generally low but not zero (there are 3 cell towers in the area) unless topography provides natural shielding. - Pueblo Quieto: An EMF-Free Community in White Mountains – NE Arizona (under development) — A high desert (four mild seasons) community of 40 – 225 Acres offering MCS / EI / EHS camping facilities (water, shower, toilets), a tiny homes ‘neighborhood’ in the treed desert, larger building lots for lease, and tracts of adjacent pristine EMF-quiet acreage available for purchase, with hopes of creating a participatory-stewardship type of EMF Quiet Zone. Also offering EMF Quiet Retreats (a week long revitalizing get away). Great year round weather, within easy drive to low-EMF amenities (medical clinic, banks, stores etc).
- The Quiet Dome – Grass Valley, California (Not yet complete)
Built to be electromagnetically quiet, the dome is situated far from cell towers or WiFI in the Sierra Nevada mountains. “The dome has no WiFi (it has wired internet), no cell towers within 2 miles, clean power (harmonics are filtered out), and silent appliances (all lighting is DC).” The dome is built by someone who developed many environmental and food sensitivities at age 15 after dental work for a gold bridge next to existing mercury fillings. In addition to being electrosmog free, the dome is built with non-toxic and mold-hostile materials, and intended to provide a place for EHS sufferers to detox and recover. - ElectroMagnetic Sensitivity Research Institute – Rockvale, Colorado (under construction)
A project in progress, the ElectroMagnetic Sensitivity Research Institute (EMSRI) is working on the development of safe housing for those with sensitivities. The initiative was started by Dr. Gary Johnson, who purchased 59 acres in Rockvale, Colorado, which includes a gulch shielded from electromagnetic waves from three sides by topography.
EMF Communities and EMF Quiet Zones around the World - Parc de Carnè, within the Vena del Gesso Regional Park – Brisighella, Ravenna, Italy
Parc de Carnè, within the Vena del Gesso Regional Park, located in the province of Ravenna, is the first EHS Refuge Zone in Italy. Opened in May 2010, everything in the zone is electrosmog-free, and has been deemed a radiation-free “White Zone,” designed to help those with EHS to rest and recover from their symptoms. The area features a Bed & Breakfast called Eremo del Lupo, “The Wolf’s Hideaway,” which is shielded with anti-EMF insulation and has space for five EHS guests. - EHS Refuge Zone in France – Drôme, France
The EHS Refuge Zone in France is located in southeastern France in a large private property in an unspoiled country area. The refuge was created by Next-up, a non-governmental organization promoting natural environment and raising awareness regarding the harmful effects of EMF. All the facilities are free, but an EHS person who stays in the Refuge Zone must have their own camper van or caravan with a metal body. The Refuge Zone does have some caravans available for free for a maximum of a 3-day trial stay for those who do not have a vehicle. The facilities include communal cooking areas, showers, toilets, water, electricity, and a discharge unit for grounding and getting rid of invasive and disturbing electrical currents. An organic vegetable garden is also on the premises for those who wish to use it.
- Town of Olvera – Cadiz, Spain
Originally announced on WavesGuard.es, a Spanish blog on electromagnetic radiation, the City Council of Cadiz has declared the town of Olvera Electromagnetic Pollution free. This is the first and only such decision in Spain, although other villages have pushed for a similar decree. - Mid West Radio Quiet Zone Coordination Zone – Murchison, Australia
Like the US Radio Quiet Zone, the Mid West Radio Quiet Zone is not an official EHS refuge, but was created to protect the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory (MRO). Wireless devices such as mobile photos or CB radios are prohibited, and the Murchison shire, with a population density of 110 people, is affected by very little radio interference from nearby residents.
- Rose Hill Off-Grid Farm – Horsefly, British Columbia, Canada
A short-termed 162-acre retreat surrounded by forest with no human neighbors, Rose Hill is an off-grid facility with no cell towers, Wi-Fi routers, or Smart Meters nearby. The phone and internet is via satellite, with the dish on a pole mounted away from the house. There is no electrical utility or municipal water on the property, with water being supplied by wells and electricity generated by solar and gasoline-powered backup system. Note: Some people react to solar converters, so we recommend checking with the facility to see where the converter is situated in regards to where you will be staying. - Cedar Rock – British Columbia, Canada (Not yet complete)
Designed to be self-sufficient and self-contained, Cedar Rock intends to provide a healthy living environment for those who have environment sensitivities. The location was “carefully selected and specially designed to address the specific issues surrounding environmentally-induced, cyclic conditions like Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Fibromyalgia, Parkinson’s and moderate Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity.” The vicinity is free of cell towers and smart meters, and cell phones and wi-fi will not be permitted on the property.
NOTE: Please contact us if you know of other communities – we would be glad to support their success by adding them to this list, and to help fill the growing search for EMF Quiet Zones.
Or add your EMF-Free location to the EHS Refuge Map of North America
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EMF Quiet Zones: Free From Electronic Harassment In USA & Worldwide
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