Month: August 2012

KPFA interview – Smart Meter Lawsuit

Yesterday on KPFA 94.1 Layna Berman, host of Your Own Health and Fitness talks with EMF Safety Network director Sandi Maurer about Smart Meters, and the legal action against the utilities and regulators in California.  Covered is both a review of the basic Smart Meter problems and complaints, and some new information about how the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and PG&E have never addressed or resolved the serious complaints, but only offered an opt-out with penalty fees.

There is an intro by Layna Berman, followed by commentary by Dr. Jeff Fawcett, followed by the Smart Meter discussion. You can access the show at: http://www.yourownhealthandfitness.org/Sage/20120828.mp3

PG&E “Ralph” Investigation

This week the “Public Version” of the PG&E “Ralph” investigation was released. Some of the names of PG&E employees are redacted, but the majority of the investigation report is there. CPSD Staff Report – Redacted and Attachments to CPSD Staff Report – Redacted  The PG&E Corporate Security memo states,

“My investigation concluded that Devereaux had been dishonest and less than truthful during the entire investigative process.”

Devereaux, aka Ralph, was the head of the PG&E Smart Meter program and he was responsible for understanding and communicating technical RF specifications to PG&E lawyers.

When the Consumer Protection & Safety Division (CPSD) launched their initial investigation PG&E responded with 102 pdf’s of information. PG&E then redacted the pdf’s and gave them to the San Jose Mercury News and to the SF Chronicle. We obtained copies of the redacted pdfs which were the basis of the CPSD report. What’s not included in the CPSD report is whether or not the CPUC was involved, and to what extent they were involved. One email address, which was exposed in an open header was CPUC representative Mazia Zafar.

Screen shot open header of email between Zafar and Devereaux

The CPSD has scheduled a settlement conference for August 30. Will post more on this investigation as it unfolds. Meanwhile can anyone guess the names that are redacted in the “public version” of the CPSD staff report?

For more information on the PG&E investigation see: PG&E’s spying may cost them

O Accountability, Where Art Thou?

Several weeks ago PG&E called Sebastopol notifying the city they planned to deploy Smart Meters in the city within weeks. PG&E wanted to speak to the council members, and refused to put anything in writing. Sebastopol’s response to PG&E was to adopt a resolution to: “Delay all Smart Meter installations and deployment in the city of Sebastopol until the CPUC has formally concluded phase 2 Smart Meter opt-out proceedings.”

PG&E’s response?  “we believe such a blanket delay would disadvantage most of our customers in Sebastopol and cannot agree to your proposal.”

 Today EMF Safety Network filed a Motion with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) in the Smart Meter Opt-Out proceeding to request judicial notice and defer Smart Meter installation in the City of  Sebastopol (Motion).

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Here’s a readers response to PG&E:

“PG&E has refused to abide by the Sebastopol City Council’s request for a delay on SmartMeter installation until the Public Utilities Commission has reached a conclusion. Their rationale, according to PG&E spokesman Greg Snapper, is that, “We believe that individual choice rather than community opt-out strikes a good balance.” PG&E thus gives itself permission to act while a legally appointed agency’s ruling is pending.

Following this example, my neighbor can remodel his home before he has a permit. A hotel can be built in a residential community while a zoning hearing is happening. A factory discharging chemicals into the Russian River can be constructed while an environmental impact report is still pending. Eminent domain over demolition of homes for a highway can happen while the planning commission is in the process of meeting.

Think about it, folks. Everybody has permission, just like PG&E, to do whatever they please, whenever they please, however they please, and to hell with the rest of the community, town, city, state, nation and the world. It’s bad enough as it is. Do we have to make it worse?”

—MARYLOU SHIRA HADDITT
Sebastopol

Melted Smart Meter

A melted Smart Meter. From the Vancouver Sun, from a report by the Office of the Fire Marshal Fire Investigation Services in Ontario.

The Vancouver Sun reported ‘Unusual’ number of fires, smart meters linked, which is one of a succession of news reports on Smart Meter fires in Canada.

“Smart meter installations are the suspected cause of an “unusual” number of fires similar to a recent electrical fire at a home in Mission, according to a recent investigation by the Ontario fire marshal’s office.”

EMF Safety Network has been tracking Smart Meter related fires since 2010 when a Bakersfield business found a Smart Meter exploded…”Basically it was an explosion. I saw the meter on the ground and the face plate was blew off and the whole meter was blackened…”

Smart Meter related fires have been reported in the US, Canada and Australia.