Cellphone-safety rules expected to be knocked

As soon as next week, Congress is expected to say that a yearlong investigation by the Government Accountability Office has found the Federal Communications Commission's cellphone-safety regulations are woefully out of date.

Congress may also urge the agency, whose radiation-limit rules are 15 years old, to take a fresh look at how children in particular may be affected by radio waves.

The findings won't say whether cellphones are safe or dangerous, or if they can cause cancer -- a hotly contested question that top scientific organizations say is still uncertain.

But news of the congressional investigation has renewed attention on the issue.

The FCC said in June that it was contemplating whether it needed to update its rules, but the agency pointed to science from reputable health experts who dismiss fears that cellphones are dangerous.

"Our action . . . is a routine review of our standards," FCC spokeswoman Tammy Sun said in a June. "We are confident that, as set, the emissions guidelines for devices pose no risks to consumers."

Advocates have pushed for the FCC to rethink its calculations -- whether, for instance, its radiation limits take into account the way many consumers carry their phones in their pockets and on their belts for hours. They also want the agency to set different guidelines for children because young skulls are thinner and may be more vulnerable to the radio waves from the phones.

"We need organizations like the Environmental Working Group who are asking the right questions and pushing for more research," said Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.).

CTIA, the wireless industry's trade group, has countered the Environmental Working Group's efforts and has filed a lawsuit against a labeling ordinance in San Francisco.

CTIA did not respond to requests for comment.