Investigation shows Vatican Radio emissions within acceptable limits

Vatican City, May 18, 2005 / 22:00 pm

Following charges of violating Italian environmental laws, including jail sentences for two Vatican Radio officials, a new study has shown that emissions from Vatican Radio towers are within acceptable limits of Italian regulations.

The Vatican released a joint statement from the bilateral commission between the Holy See and Italy, studying the question of how much electromagnetic smog is actually being emitted by Vatican Radio at its transmitting station outside of Rome at Santa Maria di Galeria.

The commission met on May 16 to seek a solution to the problems of the intensity of the emissions.

The statement said that, "the commission examined the results of the measuring done in recent months by Italian experts of the National Agency for the Protection of the Environment, by the regional agency for Lazio and by the Ministry of Communications, and ascertained that, in all sites observed, the levels of emission were maintained in conformity with the quality control objectives indicated by the DPCM (Decree of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers) of July 8, 2003, and thus the continuation of commitments reciprocally assumed with the Accord of June 8, 2001."

The commission also said that monitoring will continue and new tests will be performed in September and October.

Regarding the specific problems at the Santa Maria installation, the commission noted that plans are underway to adapt or convert several of the radio's medium and short wave transmitters to a terrestrial-based digital network.

Once complete, the new technology will allow Vatican Radio to broadcast its programming not only with lower emissions and efficiency, but also better broadcast quality.