Government – Page 10 – EMF Safety Network

Open letter to the Premier from a doctor

The health complaints from wireless radiation utility smart meters are a global problem. Here’s an open letter to the Premier from a doctor in Victoria Australia:

Posted on Stop Smart Meters Australia:

22nd February 2012

To the Premier of Victoria

Mr Baillieu,

Since the completion of the smart meter roll-out in my area, I have been very, very sick. I have continuous palpitations, chest pain, a weird taste in my mouth, loss of appetite, lethargy, dizziness, faint attacks, inability to concentrate and complete insomnia.

I have the feelings at home, in the street, in all the streets of my area and at the shops. I am not able to function. I can’t work, I can’t look after my family, I need my husband, who is now the only breadwinner, to take care of me.

My symptoms only disappear when I am in an area without smart meters, in a large park or on the beach. When my husband drives me through the Melbourne suburbs, I tell him when I feel my symptoms abate, he stops the car and looks at house fronts and, sure enough, he sees the old-style meters. This can be reproduced very predictably.

We now have to sell our home and find a place to live, where I get few or no symptoms. In the long-term, we have no choice but to leave the state of Victoria, as even if I find a ‘symptom free’ home, my life would still be very limited, as I could not roam most streets, go to most shops, visit friends, work etc.

My family’s life has been completely ruined. We have lost everything we had worked for. My two teenage kids have to cope with the trauma and grief of the overwhelming loss that awaits us on a daily basis. I already can no longer work as a doctor, eventually my kids will have to leave their school, university, grandparents and friends behind.

This is all senseless and monstrous. Even in the big scheme of things, my life matters and so do the lives of those who depend on me, especially my family and friends, for whom I am not replaceable.

What happened to me was avoidable and clearly a breach of human rights – the right to health and the right not to be subjected to experimentation without my consent.

The community has never been consulted on the need for smart meters, or even well-informed. With the mandatory Victorian smart meter roll-out we will have irreversibly compromised those democratic values that have defined Australia so far.

Dr Federica Lamech

Understanding PG&E Smart Meter Opt-Out fees

In California you can now rid your home of a smart meter. That’s good news. However PG&E is imposing fees to do so. That’s the confusing news.

The facts about the FEES: Besides being arbitrary, punitive and likely illegal, they are INTERIM fees… What are INTERIM fees? They are a strategy designed to intimidate and confuse customers who don’t want smart meters.

The costs to opt out and who should pay are still being evaluated by the Public Utilities Commission. Hearings will be held within the next couple of months.

From a CPUC press release: “The costs are subject to adjustment upon conclusion of a second phase of this proceeding where issues concerning the actual costs associated with offering an analog opt-out option will be addressed.”

WHAT YOU CAN DO: If you have smart meters on your home-have PG&E replace them with analogs. Call (866-743-0263)

If you still have analog meters- DELAY TILL MAY. The final decision should be completed by then.

CPUC votes to allow PG&E to charge fees

Today the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) voted 4-0 to allow PG&E to charge customers $75 initial fee and $10 a month for restoring or retaining their analog meter- or $10 initial fee and $5 a month for CARE customers. Commissioner Florio was notably absent for the vote.

Everyone has paid for Smart Meters through rate hikes on our utility bills. So, if you still have the analog, not only do you not get a refund for the Smart Meter you will not use, but you have to pay to keep the analog meter you already have. Michael Peevey, who wrote the proposal justified the fees, calling it a “service”.

What about the people who asked, or had signs posted stating to not have a Smart Meter, but were forced to have them? What about banks of meters, neighbors meters, the saturation of our communities with pulsed radiation, no investigation on public health and environmental impacts, no investigation on smart meter fires or meters exploding…not even a cost evaluation of the fees?!? The fees are arbitrary, punitive, unfair and amount to extortion. The fees also discriminate against people for medical reasons and are therefore illegal.

For the millions of people who have been forced to have Smart Meters in California now you can legally have Smart Meters removed, and analogs restored. For those people who have seen outrageous billing increases, are offended by privacy infringement, or are so sickened from the radiation pulses, they are eager to have the analog meters back. The initial fees will be less to have PG&E restore the meters, than for you to buy an analog and hire an electrician. If you can afford it, take advantage of this opportunity, but be very careful if they require you to sign any paperwork. PG&E may try to use this opportunity to indemnify themselves of harm. To continue to pay $10 or $5 a month for a meter reader is another matter. You can deduct that portion of your bill in protest. The San Jose Mercury News reported you can call PG&E’s Smart Meter hotline (1-866-743-0263) to schedule Smart Meter removal.

For those on the delay list, or who still have analog meters, you will be receiving notice from PG&E to pay the fees, or else get a Smart Meter. Continue to refuse the Smart Meters and the fees and demand fairness. The opt out proceeding will be continued to evaluate cost and community wide opt-out.

American Academy of Environmental Medicine calls for a halt to wireless smart meters

The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) has adopted a resolution calling for a halt to wireless smart meters.
The text of the resolution is below. (link to AAEM Resolution on letterhead)

This represents the first national physician’s group to look in-depth at wireless health risks; and to advise the public and decision-makers about preventative public health actions that are necessary.

Cindy Sage
Sage Associates

January 19, 2012

Proposed Decision of Commissioner Peevey (Mailed 1/22/2012) BEFORE THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA On the proposed decision 11-03-014

Dear Commissioners:

The Board of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine opposes the installation of wireless “smart meters” in homes and schools based on a scientific assessment of the current medical literature (references available on request). Chronic exposure to wireless radiofrequency radiation is a preventable environmental hazard that is sufficiently well documented to warrant immediate preventative public health action.

As representatives of physician specialists in the field of environmental medicine, we have an obligation to urge precaution when sufficient scientific and medical evidence suggests health risks which can potentially affect large populations. The literature raises serious concern regarding the levels of radio frequency (RF – 3 KHz – 300 GHz) or extremely low frequency (ELF – o- 300 Hz) exposures produced by “smart meters” to warrant an immediate and complete moratorium on their use and deployment until further study can be performed. The board of the American Board of Environmental Medicine wishes to point out that existing FCC guidelines for RF safety that have been used to justify installation of “smart meters” only look at thermal tissue damage and are obsolete, since many modern studies show metabolic and genomic damage from RF and ELF exposures below the level of intensity which heats tissues. The FCC guidelines are therefore inadequate for use in establishing public health standards. More modern literature shows medically and biologically significant effects of RF and ELF at lower energy densities. These effects accumulate over time, which is an important consideration given the chronic nature of exposure from “smart meters”. The current medical literature raises credible questions about genetic and cellular effects, hormonal effects, male fertility, blood/brain barrier damage and increased risk of certain types of cancers from RF or ELF levels similar to those emitted from “smart meters”. Children are placed at particular risk for altered brain development, and impaired learning and behavior. Further EMF/RF adds synergistic effects to the damage observed from a range of toxic chemicals. Given the widespread, chronic and essentially inescapable ELF/RF exposure of everyone living near a “smart meter”, the Board of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine finds it unacceptable from a public health standpoint to implement this technology until these serious medical concerns are resolved. We consider a moratorium on installation of wireless “smart meters” to be an issue of the highest importance.

The Board of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine also wishes to note that the US NIEHS National Toxicology Program in 1999 cited radiofrequency radiation as a potential carcinogen. Existing safety limits for pulsed RF were termed “not protective of public health” by the Radiofrequency Interagency Working Group (a federal interagency working group including the FDA, FCC, OSHA, the EPA and others). Emissions given off by “smart meters” have been classified by the World Health Organization International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a Possible Human Carcinogen.

Hence, we call for:

• An immediate moratorium on “smart meter” installation until these serious public
health issues are resolved. Continuing with their installation would be extremely
irresponsible.

• Modify the revised proposed decision to include hearings on health impact in the
second proceedings, along with cost evaluation and community wide opt-out.

• Provide immediate relief to those requesting it and restore the analog meters.

Members of the Board
American Academy of Environmental Medicine

Admin note: The American Academy of Environmental Medicine, founded in 1965, is an international association of physicians and other professionals which “provides research and education in the recognition, treatment and prevention of illnesses induced by exposures to biological and chemical agents encountered in air, food and water.”

Revised PG&E smart meter opt-out proposal now available

The revised PG&E smart meter opt out proposed decision is now available. This will come before the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to be voted on at their business meeting on Wed. February 1 in San Francisco.

Here’s the highlights: The opt out choice will only be the analog meter, not a “radio off” meter. Customers can choose to either have a smart meter or an analog meter. The proposed interim cost is $90 initial fee per customer and $10 a month fee. For low income proposed fees are $10 initial fee and $5 a month. This revision allows for a second proceeding to further analyze costs and community wide opt out.

For a quick review read the summary at the beginning and/or the Findings of Fact/ Conclusions of Law and the Order at the end of the paper.

Another Commissioner can submit an alternate proposal. We will support an alternate proposal if it includes hearings on health impacts of smart meters and a no cost interim fee until the second proceeding is complete. Failing a modification, or alternate proposal that includes these issues we will urge the Commission to reject the proposed decision.

HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Call or email the CPUC: 866-849-8390 or 415-703-2074

Refer to revised proposed decision 11-03-014. Ask the Commissioners to:

Modify the revised proposed decision to include hearings on health impacts in the second proceeding, along with cost evaluation and community wide opt-out.
Provide immediate relief to those requesting it and restore the analog meters, however do not charge any interim fees for opting out.

Attend the CPUC meeting on Wed. February 1 at 9 am at the CPUC, 505 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco. Plan to arrive by 8:45 am to sign up to speak to the Commission. Prepare a 1-2 minute statement.

Smart Meter SCAM

PG&E’s recent comments to the California Public Utility Commission that customers could have an analog meter option is a ‘better late than never’ concession, but we still have a long way to go to ensure public safety and restore consumer rights.

There has been no cost evaluation, no hearings, no fact finding and no cross examination by anyone on PG&E’s proposed fees to opt out.

The fees are ARBITRARY and intentionally PUNITIVE to discourage customers from opting out.

Considering customers were not provided full disclosure about the RF technology (which is an FCC rule) and the meters were forced upon consumers without consent or choice, there should be NO CHARGE to have the smart meters replaced with analogs.

The utilities removed perfectly functional equipment with an inferior product with a shorter expected “usefulness” and charged every customer through rate hikes.

If you have managed to fend off installation and kept your analog meter now they are trying to charge you again, $90 more, to keep what you already have!

This is a SCAM and a SCANDAL!

They also want to charge a monthly fee of $11-15 ($5 CARE customers) to cover the costs of a meter reader. In town it takes a meter reader a couple of minutes to read a meter per house per month. It outlying areas, people have self read their own meters for years. These fees are UNREALISTIC, ARBITRARY, AND INTENTIONALLY PUNITIVE!

PG&E supports analog meter option

In Reply Comments sent to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) today PG&E declared its support of an analog meter option. “PG&E supports approval of an analog meter option, in addition to the non-communicating radio-off option, in response to customers’ and parties’ continued requests for an analog meter alternative in Opening Comments, as well as in customers’ direct communications to PG&E and the Commission.”

“PG&E has received the very clear message that some customers will only be satisfied with an analog meter option.”

This is a major concession from PG&E. However, we still need the CPUC to hear loud and clear that we need:

a no cost analog opt-out, no initial or monthly fees

meters co-located in banks banned and restored to analogs

immediate restoration of analog meters for people suffering health impacts

evidentiary hearings and investigation into RF health impacts

Community wide opt-outs and safe zones

It will be up to the Commission to decide what they do with PG&E’s concession and whether or not they will include an analog option, and whether or not that will apply to utilities statewide.

Listen to a short radio interview with Sandi Maurer from KSRO news.

Opt-out OUTRAGE!

Today the President of the California the Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), Michael Peevey issued a Proposed Decision on what to do with the thousands of complaints against the (dumb, too smart, not smart, spy, murder, dirty, hazardous, merd, smeter) microwave computer utility meters that companies are stealthily installing with support from government and environmentalists.

The CPUC, whose mission is to provide safe and reliable utility service at reasonable rates, and regulate the utilities has once again rubber stamped PG&E’s demands. Peevey’s proposed decision says we must pay $90 upfront and $15 a month for a “radio off” meter. Analog meters are not included. The fees are an obvious punishment, and likely illegal.

What can we do about this outrage in California? Here’s an idea: We can REFUSE to pay. Deduct it from the utility bill in protest.

Here’s what others think about the concept of opt-out:

“We should not have to pay for NO CHANGE in electric service. We don’t pay for not getting cable. We don’t pay for not getting satellite. We don’t pay for gas if we don’t use gas appliances. What the heck is going on when we have to pay MORE for something we don’t want, don’t need, won’t use and can’t get out of. When the vacuum salesman comes to the door, and I don’t want to buy a vacuum, I don’t buy it and he doesn’t get into my wallet.” Anonymous survey comment

Just removing the meter from our home I don’t think will restore the peace and freedom from harm. As you know with all the homes having the meters on them, the amount of radiation is substantial. I don’t think I am overstating this. I am beginning to think they are trying to do a slow kill, so we don’t wake up to it. It is interesting that some of us have a super sensitivity to the radiation while others no less being slowly harmed by it are clueless because they don’t sense anything. CMC, Riverside County CA

“These folks are way better organized than the power industry, they are creating converts every day and they’re not going to stop with a puny opt-out option.” Phil Carson, Editor-in-chief, Intelligent Utility Daily