Green Bank, West Virginia

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Green Bank
Census-designated place
Green Bank is located in West Virginia
Green Bank
Green Bank
Location within the state of West Virginia
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Country United States
State West Virginia
County Pocahontas
Area[1]
 • Total 3.276 sq mi (8.48 km2)
 • Land 3.276 sq mi (8.48 km2)
 • Water 0 sq mi (0 km2)
Population (2010)[2]
 • Total 143
 • Density 44/sq mi (17/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)

Green Bank is a census-designated place in Pocahontas County in West Virginia's Potomac Highlands inside the Allegheny Mountain Range. Green Bank is located along WV 28. Green Bank is also close to the Snowshoe Mountain ski resort. As of the 2010 census, its population was 143.[2]

The community was named for a green riverbank near the original town site.[3]

National Radio Quiet Zone

Green Bank is located within the National Radio Quiet Zone, which means that radio transmissions are heavily restricted by law. This policy is enforced by a "radio police man" who uses specialized equipment to detect signals from unauthorized electronics.[4] Green Bank is home to the Green Bank Telescope, the world's largest fully steerable radio telescope, which is operated by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO). It was at the NRAO, in 1961, that Frank Drake presented the Drake Equation, which was developed to provide an estimate of the total number of detectable extraterrestrial civilizations in the Milky Way galaxy.

With Green Bank being located within the Quiet Zone, many people who believe they suffer from electromagnetic hypersensitivity are finding new homes within its borders.[5][6] Escape from cellular radiation is the main attraction to Green Bank for these people.[7] As of 2013, an estimated 36 people have moved to Green Bank to escape the effects of electromagnetic hypersensitivity.[8]

Notable people

References

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  5. "Electromagnetic hypersensitivity: Evidence for a novel neurological syndrome". D.E. McCarty, S. Carrubba, A.L. Chesson, Jr., C. Frilot II, E. Gonzalez-Toledo & A.A. Marino. Int. J. Neurosci. 121:670–676, 2011. [PDF file]. (Introduction, an MP3 audio file).
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