"Non-ionizing radiation is an important factor in the life of every member of an advanced technological society. This is particularly true of American society with its space program, its sophisticated weapons systems, its highly developed electronics products, and the world's most advanced national communications system-all of which use non-ionizing radiation, generally in the microwave and radio frequency ranges. Most Americans are probably unaware of either the pervasiveness of non-ionizing radiation or the controversy surrounding its status as a pollutant and a health hazard. In the last decade, however, both the scientific community and the United States Congress have begun to pay more attention to this form of energy and its impact on our lives . . .

"When confronted with the complexities and uncertainties of the scientific enterprise, and with a bureaucracy that is in some ways disorganized, often inefficient, and always overburdened, even explaining the radiation problem, let alone proposing how the bureaucracy might control it, seems overwhelming. Congress has confronted the problem several times over the past decade, patiently questioning scientists and policy makers, private and public, in an attempt to find a path through the morass. The purpose of the examination of the problem undertaken by this Article has been first, to try to convince the reader that it is now time, or past time, to start making concrete legislative proposals for dealing with a problem that is grJwL'1g with each day of delay. Second, this Article has made such prcposals-proposals for adapting existing agency structures, for creating some new institutions and for opening new channels of communication among the numerous agencies, each with an important role to play in confronting and resolving the problems of controlling non-ionizing radiation . . .

"Non-ionizing radiation pollution presents to Congress a clear challenge to transiate the concept of technology assessment into practice on a national scale, assuring that the health and environmental perspectives gain their rightful place. First Congress and then the agencies must meet the challenge of making difficult choices and decisions creatively and forcefully-and without delay."