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"The Working Group has reviewed not only various individual researches and studies, but also, more importantly, those authoritative and comprehensive studies conducted by well recognised international organisations, national authorities and independent panels and working parties apppointed to review the issue.
"There have been more than 70 such major comprehensive studies by govemment bodies and scientific panels so far and none of them has concluded that power frequency EMF causes adverse human health effects," he noted.
Mr Chan stressed that the information presented by the three overseas experts invited by the Fei Ngo Shan residents had already been considered and covered by the above mentioned authoritative and comprehensive studies reviewed by the Working Group.
He told the residents that the EMF exposure guidelines adopted in Hong Kong were based on those published by the IRPA in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1990. Both organisations confirmed recently that such guidelines are still valid and still reflect their positions on the subject.
Mr Chan pointed out that the Working Group had been maintaining communication links with organisations and authorities in many countries world-wide.
"Not a single country has confirmed that there is convincing evidence to support a connection between EMF exposure and adverse human health effects, nor that there is scientific base to establish more stringent EMF standards and other binding regulations.
"In fact, many countries have now adopted or recommended the use of IRPA or very similar EMF exposure guidelines, including Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Germany, United Kingdom, France, European Union and Taiwan.
"Nevertheless, the Working Group will continue to monitor the world-wide developments on this issue." he stressed.
End/Monday, July 17, 1995