Field Guide to Effects of Power Lines on Property Values
(Updated October 2008)
The concern over electromagnetic fields emitted by power lines has long been a topic of conversation for the real estate industry. New studies and conflicting reports are being published every year. The public's knowledge, perception, and interpretation of this data has a profound effect of the value of properties in proximity to power lines. This page will help guide you through the basics of the EMF controversy. (A. Siudzinski, Information Specialist)
Contents:
EMFs Explained | Power Lines & Property Values | Power Lines: Health Hazard or Media Hype? | Books, eBooks & Other Resources
EMFs Explained
Electric and magnetic fields (EMF): health concerns, (Connecticut Department of Public Health, Apr. 2008).
Electromagnetic fields and public health, (World Health Organization, May 2006).
Electric and Magnetic Fields (EMF) Radiation from Power Lines, (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, May 3, 2006).
Magnetic Fields Exposure and Cancer: Questions and Answers, (National Cancer Institute, U.S. National Institutes of Health, Apr. 12, 2005).
Electromagnetic fields explained, (Arizona Association of REALTORS®, 2003).
Power Lines and Property Values
As transmission line project plans proceed, property owners ponder offers and safety concerns, (Kennebec Journal, May 18, 2008).
High voltage transmission lines, electric and magnetic fields (EMF) and how they effect real estate prices, (Silicon Valley Real Estate Guide, Jan. 3, 2008).
A Meta-Analysis of the Effect of Environmental Contamination and Positive Amenities on Residential Real Estate Values , (Journal of Real Estate Research , Jan. - Mar. 2006). Q
Further analysis of transmission line impact on residential property values, (Appraisal Journal , July 2003). Q
Power lines, visual encumbrance and house values: A micro-spatial approach to impact measurement, (Journal of Real Estate Research, May/June 2002).
Do you want your children playing under those things? The continuing controversy about high voltage, electromagnetic fields, human health, and property values, (Assessment Journal, May/June 2001). Q
Power lines and property value: The good, the bad, and the ugly, (The Urban Lawyer, Spring 1999).
Electromagnetic radiation field property devaluation, (Appraisal Journal, Jan. 1996). Q
Power Lines: Health Hazard or Media Hype?
Health risks associated with living near high-voltage power lines, (Health Physics Society, July 2, 2008).
Power lines and your health, (health.msn.com, 2008).
Good news about electromagnetic fields, (Realty Times, July 10, 2003).
Should the threshold limit to power frequency (60Hz) magnetic fields be changed? Perception among scientists and other risk experts, (AIHA Medical Journal, Sept./Oct. 2002). Q
NIEHS report on health effects from exposure to power-line frequency electric and magnetic fields, (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, June 1999).
eBooks & Other Resources
Books, Videos, Research Reports & More
The resources below are available for loan through Information Central. Up to three books, tapes, CDs and/or DVDs can be borrowed for 30 days from the Library for a nominal fee of $10. Call Information Central at 800.874.6500 for assistance.
Death and disclosure: legal strategies for dealing with stigmatized properties, (Richfield, OH: October Research Corporation, 2007). HD 1341 R22d
Cell towers: Wireless convenience? or environmental hazard?, (Markham, Ont.: Safe Goods/New Century Publishing, 2001). HE 9713 B45
EMF and the eighth deadly sin: The literature on property value impacts from proximity to high-voltage transmission lines since 1994, (Storrs, CT: Real Estate Counseling Group of Connecticut, March 1996). SF-1998-043
Cartographies of danger: Mapping hazards in America, (Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1997). GB 5014 M66
Field Guides & More
These Field Guides and other resources in the Virtual Library may also be of interest:
Field Guide to Dealing with Stigmatized Properties
Field Guide to Effects of Hazardous Waste on Property Values
>> Have an idea for a new Field Guide? Click here to send us your suggestions!
The inclusion of links on this Field Guide does not imply endorsement by the National Association of REALTORS®. NAR makes no representations about whether the content of any external sites which may be linked to this Field Guide complies with state or federal laws or regulations or with applicable NAR policies. These links are provided for your convenience only and you rely on them at your own risk.
