A judge orders California to release official documents about cell phone radiation risk that the state tried to suppress.

On Friday, a Superior Court judge ordered California to release documents written by the state’s Environmental Health Investigations branch that are believed to contain warnings about the risk of cell phone radiation and recommendations aimed to protect public health.

The ruling comes after a lawsuit filed by Joel Moskowitz, the director of the Center for Family and Community Health at UC Berkeley School of Public Health. He sued the state under the California Public Records Act after his request to access the information was denied.

“I would like this document to see the light of day,” Moskowitz told KPIX 5, a CBS affiliate in San Francisco, “because it will inform the public that there is concern within the California Department of Public Health that cell phone radiation is a risk and it will provide them with some information about how to reduce those risks.” 

Moskowitz’s concerns are based on new research that suggests a worrisome link between using cell phones regularly for at least a decade and an increased risk of developing brain tumors. He urges cell phone users to limit their physical contact with their mobile devices.

The judge sided with Moskowitz, noting the significant public interest in the DPH’s research and public health recommendations based on those findings. The DPH did not immediately comment on the ruling or whether or not it would even release the documents, as state lawyers noted they could appeal the decision.

But the Federal Communications Commission, the governmental agency that oversees the television, radio and telephone industries, wants to reassure the public that the devices are safe.