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Section 4: Safety Guidelines and Warranty Information
4A: Safety 113
6. Why has the FCC adopted guidelines for RF exposure?
The FCC authorizes and licenses products, transmitters, and
facilities that generate RF and microwave radiation. It has
jurisdiction over all transmitting services in the U.S. except those
specifically operated by the Federal Government. While the FCC
does not have the expertise to determine radiation exposure
guidelines on its own, it does have the expertise and authority to
recognize and adopt technically sound standards promulgated by
other expert agencies and organizations, and has done so. (Our
joint efforts with the FDA in developing this website is illustrative
of the kind of inter-agency efforts and consultation we engage in
regarding this health and safety issue.)
Under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA),
the FCC has certain responsibilities to consider whether its
actions will significantly affect the quality of the human
environment. Therefore, FCC approval and licensing of
transmitters and facilities must be evaluated for significant
impact on the environment. Human exposure to RF radiation
emitted by FCC-regulated transmitters is one of several factors
that must be considered in such environmental evaluations. In
1996, the FCC revised its guidelines for RF exposure as a result
of a multi-year proceeding and as required by the
Telecommunications Act of 1996.
Radio and television broadcast stations, satellite-earth stations,
experimental radio stations and certain wireless
communication facilities are required to undergo routine
evaluation for RF compliance when they submit an application
to the FCC for construction or modification of a transmitting
facility or renewal of a license. Failure to comply with the FCC's
RF exposure guidelines could lead to the preparation of a
formal Environmental Assessment, possible Environmental
Impact Statement and eventual rejection of an application.
Technical guidelines for evaluating compliance with the FCC RF
safety requirements can be found in the FCC's OET Bulletin 65.
http://www.fcc.gov/oet/info/documents/bulletins/#65
Low-powered, intermittent, or inaccessible RF transmitters and
facilities are normally excluded from the requirement for routine
evaluation for RF exposure. These exclusions are based on
standard calculations and measurement data indicating that a
transmitting station or equipment operating under the conditions
prescribed is unlikely to cause exposures in excess of the