Eagles Don't Avoid Towers.
They Land on Them.
100+ bald eagles. 1.7 miles away. No environmental review. No USFWS consultation. An industry already destroying eagle nests across America.
Eagles nest on cell towers. When 5G upgrades arrive, the platforms — and the nests — get removed.
🦅 Bald Eagle Protection Act • Federal Law
We Asked for the Environmental Reviews. They Haven't Answered.
Federal guidelines require environmental review when siting towers near protected habitat. Onondaga Lake hosts 100+ federally protected bald eagles — the largest urban wintering roost in New York State. This tower sits 1.7 miles away, within their confirmed foraging range.
📄 Freedom of Information Request — Filed & Pending
We filed a FOIL request for all SEQRA documents, environmental impact assessments, RF emissions studies, and USFWS consultations. The response: "We are researching your request and will notify you within 20 business days."
If the reviews were done — show us. If they weren't — why not?
What We Do Know
Audubon: Eagles Nest on Cell Towers — Then Lose Their Homes
The Audubon EagleWatch Program reports 20% of monitored bald eagle nests in Florida are on human-made structures — including cell towers. In some counties, 60% of all nests are on man-made structures.
Audubon Florida — EagleWatch (Oct 2024)5G Upgrades Destroy Eagle Nests Nationwide
When telecoms upgrade to heavier 5G equipment, they remove the platforms eagles nested on. Eagles returning in 2023–2024 found nests gone — with no platform, they couldn't rebuild. Current USFWS permits allow removal but don't prohibit permanent alterations that prevent future nesting.
"Eliminating cell phone towers as possible nest sites could have a negative impact on nesting success for Florida's Bald Eagles." — Audubon EagleWatch
⚠️ This Tower Is a Trap for Onondaga Lake Eagles
At 184 feet — nearly twice the height of highway light poles — this tower will be the tallest structure near Onondaga Lake. With 100+ eagles 1.7 miles away, it's not if they find it — it's when. Tower goes up → eagles nest → telecom upgrades → nest destroyed. Audubon has documented this cycle across Florida. 6G is already in development — more upgrades, more nest removals for decades.
USFWS: Site Towers Away From Roosts
USFWS guidelines state towers should be sited "away from nests, foraging areas, and communal roost sites." Required buffers: ½-mile (2,640 ft) from communal roosts with line of sight, and 660 ft from any nest. Were these evaluated? No documentation has been produced.
USFWS Bald Eagle Management Guidelines (PDF)The Tower Is in Eagle Territory
Eagle territories span 2.5–15 square miles. At 1.7 miles from the roost, this tower sits squarely within foraging range. Liverpool residents confirm eagles regularly fly over the area.
National Audubon SocietyAdditional Concern
Peer-Reviewed: RF Radiation Harms Birds Near Towers
Research in Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine (Balmori, 2006) documented population decline, nest abandonment, and increased mortality near tower base stations. White stork nests within 200m showed significantly lower breeding success. Eagles perching directly on antennas face the highest possible RF exposure.
Protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. Fines up to $250,000 and criminal prosecution. Was this tower sited in compliance with federal wildlife guidelines? We asked. Still waiting.
The Birds: 7 Million Deaths Per Year
The American Bird Conservancy reports towers kill 7 million birds per year in North America — primarily nocturnal migrants disoriented by tower lights.
Dead vultures found at the base of the tower site in Liverpool, NY.
100+
Bald Eagles at Onondaga Lake
The largest urban bald eagle wintering roost in New York State — directly adjacent to the tower site. Protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.
Lose-Lose
Lights Don't Fix This
No lights? Birds can't see it. Steady lights? Attract and disorient birds, causing more deaths. Flashing lights still kill 30% of what steady lights do. No version of this tower is safe.
Turkey vultures at the site are federally protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. As large, slow-soaring raptors, they're among the most collision-prone species.
American Bird Conservancy: Tower CollisionsThe Bees: Peer-Reviewed and Devastating
Peer-reviewed research proves cell tower RF radiation decimates honeybee populations — disrupting navigation, reducing colony strength, and triggering collapse. Honeybees pollinate one-third of all food humans eat.
Peer-Reviewed Study: RF Effects on HoneybeesPeer-Reviewed • NIH / PubMed Central
The Entire Ecosystem Is at Risk
A 2022 study in Reviews on Environmental Health reviewed EMF effects across all wildlife and plant species: current safety standards offer zero protection for any non-human species — and the harm is already measurable.
390–570%
More Radiation Absorbed by Insects Under 5G
5G wavelengths match insect body size, creating a resonance effect — up to 570% more absorption vs. 4G. "Devastating holes in the food web."
ZERO
Wildlife Safety Standards
FCC/ICNIRP guidelines are strictly human-centric — protecting only against short-term tissue heating. No protection for birds, bees, trees, or any other species.
Man-Made EMFs Override Natural Navigation
Migratory birds, bees, bats, and sea turtles navigate via Earth's magnetic field using magnetite crystals and cryptochrome proteins. Artificial tower EMFs overwhelm these sensors — causing disorientation, failed migrations, and population decline.
Documented Effects by Species
🐝 Pollinators
Impaired memory & smell, hive abandonment, reduced egg-laying, increased mortality — linked to colony collapse disorder.
🦅 Birds
Compromised immunity, altered behavior, harmed chick development, disrupted migration, nest abandonment near towers.
🌳 Trees & Plants
9-year field studies show visible canopy damage, root decline, and altered cellular growth in exposed trees.
1,200+ Studies Reviewed • Environmental Health Trust
The Most Comprehensive RF & Wildlife Review Ever Published
Researchers reviewed 1,200+ peer-reviewed studies on wireless radiation effects on flora and fauna. The majority found adverse effects — even at exposures far below FCC limits:
Reproduction & Development
Stunted growth and increased embryo mortality across species.
Navigation & Orientation
Disruption of biological sensors animals use to migrate and survive.
Cellular Health
Oxidative stress, DNA damage, and disrupted metabolism.
5G Makes It Worse
Hundreds of thousands of new antennas push radiation closer to ground-level habitats — without environmental review.
⚖️ EHT v. FCC — The Court Agreed
The Environmental Health Trust sued the FCC and won. The U.S. Court of Appeals ruled the FCC acted unlawfully by ignoring scientific evidence of harmful environmental impacts — validating the need for ecosystem-inclusive regulations.
An unlit, 184-foot tower in documented eagle habitat, adjacent to New York's largest urban eagle roost, surrounded by vultures and honeybees — with no public environmental review. 1,200+ studies confirm harm. A federal court confirmed the FCC ignored it. If a protected species is killed, someone is legally liable. We'll be watching.
Now You Know. Now Do Something.
Sign the petition, call your representatives, and show up to the next Town Board meeting. They ignored us once—make sure they can't again.
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