A U.S. Navy plan to build six radio frequency towers of up to 150 feet high at Webster Field this fall has left many unanswered questions among those who live near the southern St. Mary’s County military base.

The purpose of the towers, which would be made of galvanized steel with lattice webbing and safety lights so aircraft can see them at night, is to study a system to counter unmanned aerial jamming operations, Navy spokeswoman Christine Trent said in an email. She noted the towers would allow testing and evaluation in order to counteract unmanned drone threats to military bases.

“This is ongoing work that has been taking place with our sensors at ground level for the past two years,” she said. The St. Inigoes base is an annex of the larger Patuxent River Naval Air Station.

When asked what the radio frequencies of the towers would be, she said she could not disclose that for security reasons.

Eleven people attended a public meeting on Feb. 23 at Chancellor’s Point Park in St. Mary’s City, but no future meetings are scheduled, she said.

Local environmental activist Pat Elder said he was unable to attend the meeting, but noted that his wife, Nell, did attend.

“The proposed towers may be threatening to our health and they may reduce property values by 20% or more,” Elder said in an email. “Radio frequency radiation is believed to be devastating to birds and bees, while their construction may result in the release of carcinogenic PFAS from the ... aquifer.”

PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. The General Assembly is considering two bills that would ban PFAS in the production of firefighting foam, rugs and carpets. Senate Bill 273 passed the Senate 45-0-2 on March 1 and a companion bill, House Bill 275, passed the House 138-0 on March 10.

Elder received a reply from Navy spokesman Patrick Gordon regarding his PFAS questions that said they “are outside the scope of the ... the current project. Please consider bring up these questions at the next installation restoration advisory board meeting.”

According to Elder, several studies of humans indicate that proximity to base stations correlates with headaches, dizziness, depression and other neurobehavioral symptoms, as well as increased cancer risk. Animal studies also indicate that the effects may be cumulative, he said, citing a Michigan Technological University study that urges caution regarding the placement of towers that emit radio frequency radiation. The study said a 1,640-foot buffer may help reduce risk for vulnerable populations, he said.

Elder, who lives on Rosecroft Road across St. Inigoes Creek from Webster Field, which served as a bombing range in the 1940s and 1950s, said he’s 1,600 feet from the shores of the military base when standing on his dock.

He asked about the specific absorption rate, or SAR, value related to radio frequency radiation, noting the threshold for a person is 4 watts per kilogram.

“Tissue damage in humans can occur as a result of long-term exposure because of the body’s inability to cope with or dissipate the excessive heat that may be generated,” he said. “We know that guidelines for maximum permissible exposure are different for different transmitting frequencies. The most restrictive limits on whole-body exposure are in the frequency range of 30-300 MHz.”

Other Rosecroft Road residents who asked questions include Bob Brunner and Tom Clendenin.

Trent noted that the historic St. Ignatius Roman Catholic Church, which is just outside the gate to Webster Field, would be visually affected by a tower. The Navy plans to plant evergreen trees to serve as a visual buffer between the tower and the church, which was built in 1765, according to visitstmarysmd.com.

“Although the formal public commenting period is over and responses to those questions are being compiled for release in the near future, the U.S. Navy’s public affairs offices are always available for public inquiries,” Trent said.

The public can email questions to her at christine.m.trent.civ@us.navy.mil or to patrick.a.gordon10.civ@us.navy.mil.

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