EMF are found virtually everywhere electricity is used in our modern society. For example, EMF exists around household wiring, electrical appliances and transmission lines.

AltaLink recognizes that some people are concerned about EMF, and we treat those concerns very seriously. AltaLink provides information to people who have questions to keep them informed about the status of EMF research, as summarized by national and international scientific and health agencies, including Health Canada and the World Health Organization. AltaLink does not conduct health research but does take measurements of fields near its facilities.

After more than 30 years of research that includes thousands of studies and reviews by multiple agencies, none of these agencies have concluded that exposure to EMF from power lines is a demonstrated cause of any long-term adverse effects to human, plant or animal health. They have not recommended that the general public take steps to limit their everyday exposure to EMF.

Based on this research and the conclusions of these agencies, AltaLink believes that the levels of EMF associated with its high voltage transmission facilities are not a risk to your health. If you have questions or concerns, please contact us, and we will provide more information.

No EMF exposure guidelines have been established for power line EMF in Alberta, Canada or the United States because there is no conclusive scientific evidence that EMF adversely affects health. Instead, agencies like the International Commission for Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and the Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) have developed exposure guidelines that protect workers and the general public from well-documented immediate biological effects (similar to shocks) that can result from direct exposure to fields above those typically found in living environments.