Sicily revokes permission for U.S. military satellite station
Yahoo! News (Reuters)
March 29, 2013
The Sicilian regional government in Italy has revoked permission for the United States to build a military satellite station on the island, its governor said on Friday, after protests by residents who said it could pose a health risk.
The planned ground station is part of the Mobile User Objective System (MUOS), an ultra high-frequency satellite network aimed at significantly boosting communications capacity for the U.S. military and its allies.
Concerns about the effect the station’s electromagnetic waves could have on the health of residents around the town of Niscemi, including fears that the waves could cause cancer, have provoked protests on the island.
A U.S. military official said the United States hoped to allay any health concerns and would try to reach an agreement with the Italian government to get permission to build the facility.
The regional government of the semi-autonomous island last month delayed construction and called for an independent study into its health and environmental impact.
The Italian government said this month the demonstrations risked compromising operations at Sigonella, a U.S. naval base in Sicily. …
