LOCAL GROUP FILES PROTEST WITH CPUC OVER SMART METERS, WHICH REMAIN MANDATORY IN SAN DIEGO

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43 COUNTIES IN CA HAVE VOTED TO OPPOSE SMART METERS --

AND 10 HAVE BANNED THE DEVICES

 

July 12, 2011 (La Mesa) – The Center for Electrosmog Prevention in La Mesa along with Californians for Renweable Energy, Inc. filed a protest July 6 with the California Public Utilities commission (CPUC) against San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E).

 

The complaint seeks to stop expansion of  “a dangerous, large scale, radiation-emitting mesh network of wireless smart meters (automatic readers)" that have already been installed at many homes and businesses locally.

 

In Califiornia, 43 counties have gone on record opposing smart meters--and 10 have banned them completely. But San Diego’s Supervisors have not taken any such action. (View list of counties.)

 

Opponents who filed the CPUC protest contend that the mesh network is “a vast indoor and outdoor area that blankets our county and state with unnatural levels of harmful, rf radiation, with nowhere to escape it. Widespread reports of human and animal illness have already occurred in areas deployed with these new utility smart meters, and complainants have not received help or relief. CEP objects to this reckless disregard and further establishment of an infrastructure that has already been shown to cause harm and even drives people from their homes.”

 

Smart meter advocates say that the units allow utility companies to track hourly usage, which in turn can foster efficiency and lead to reduced energy consumption. The meters also enable utilities to save money by reducing or eliminating meter reader jobs. Proponents also note that they have complied with state and federal laws in installing the devices and have disputed health issues raised.

 

PG&E now allows its customers to opt-out of having smart meters, albeit for a cost. Santa Barbara County Supervisors on July 6 voted to send a letter to the CPUC urging that customers of Southern California Edison also be allowed to opt out. But thus far, SDG&E customers in San Diego have no option to opt out if they have concerns over health impacts. The utility has insisted that smart meters are safe and within legal guidelines.

 

But increasingly, people who have had smart meters installed in their homes are coming forward to complain of health problems that they believe are caused by the meters. In Santa Barbara, one woman broke down in tears while testifying to Supervisors about her health issues.

 

Some customers are staging protests and even going to jail to stand up for their beliefs. In Santa Cruz, two people were arrested earlier this month for attempting to peacefully block installation of smart meters at their homes.

The term “electrosmog” is used to refer to a new, manmade form of pollution, also known as electromagnetic radiation. Critics contend that unnatural levels of this radiation, like those produced by smart meters, are believed by some scientists to be unsafe and the effects cumulative. Opponents object to the fact that CPUC has waived environmental impact studies and has allowed SDG&E to deploy wireless smart meters in its service area without what the groups consider adequate safety checks.

 

Opponents further state that the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a warning on May 31, 2011 that all rf radiation, like that produced by smart meters and cell phones, is a type 2B carcinogen and “particularly dangerous to children. Based on WHO’s determination, many scientists are warning that the radiation given off by smart meters in homes and workplaces presents an unacceptable cancer risk.

 

One radiation expert, Daniel Hirsch, has found that smart meters may provide up to 160 times the full body radiation of cell phones, and they are on 24/7. Another expert compares smart meters to a “mini-cell tower” on every home.” The press release issued by opponents does not cite specifics on their sources, however.

 

Many smart meters are placed on the walls of occupied spaces like bedrooms or kitchens, where women, pregnant women, babies, children, and the elderly who may be more vulnerable are located in close proximity.

 

“Some scientists are concerned about studies that show rf radiation interference with human, animal, and insect reproduction – especially concerning bees, necessary for our agriculture,” the complaint contends. Various health complaints received by the CPUC since the deployment of smart meters began. CEP argues that expanding this program, rather than independently analyzing these problems and finding acceptable solutions, is “reckless” and has the potential to “permanently harm citizens of California and our precious environment.

 

CEP asks for a halt to the program and independent analysis, with solutions to be reviewed and approved by a panel of experts that CEP would establish.

 

For more information on the CEP protest, visit http://www.scribd.com/doc/59543876/A-11-06-006-CEP-Protest-to-SDG-E-Appl... CEP’s website at www. electrosmogprevention.org.
 


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Comments

Smart meters are a menace to health and privacy

Smart meters (and all automated metering devices based on wireless) are a new public health menace being unleashed on an unsuspecting public, compliments of the Obama administration (highest priority to accomplish full deployement of nation with smart grid/smart meters), US Dept of Energy (funders), your representatives in Congress (none of them will take a position against these and their legislation, US Energy Act of 2007 opened the door for the smart grid, though not mentioning wireless - and they receive campaign contributions from the utilities), your state and local politicians (who schmooze with the utilities for $), and of course, the utility companies who don't care at all about our health, just MONEY MONEY MONEY, like the ads on tv for the big banks. Enter the wireless grid and smart meters, used by your power and water companies now. Did you know that your neighborhood now is blanketed in a dangerous radiation that can cause inflammation, sleeping problems, seizures, swelling, joint pain, headaches, cancer, etc.? No, of course not. They just arrived on your property and installed. You have one of these digital utility meters - actually, two - one for gas and one for electric. Don't stand in front of it, that is where the highest radiation is found. Don't sleep near it. Don't go near it. Visit www.smartmeterdangers.org for more info. Center for Electrosmog Prevention is filing formal legal brief with the state of CA on utility customer members behalf. www.electrosmogprevention.org. If you'd like to join our project, Southern Calfornians Against Smart Meters, please go to that site and fill out the form therein. Note: correction to the above article: 43 municipalities (not counties) including 9 counties have taken a position against smart meters, ranging from banning them and criminalizing their installation to demanding an opt-out plan. In Southern California, Santa Barbara County has just been added to that list. CONTACT YOUR SAN DIEGO COUNTY SUPERVISORS AND CITY/TOWN COUNCILS AND MAYORS TO DEMAND THE SAME HERE. Lastly, watch this video, it is very informative on the privacy issue related to smart meters, which track your every move in addition to harming you: http://youtu.be/8JNFr_j6kdI . Smart meters are a public health menace, can be used as a weapon against every household, and are monitoring devices. We cannot allow this.

CLASS 2-B CARCINOGEN LIST

When something gets placed on the Class 2B Carcinogen List (along with Lead and DDT) it is LIKELY that it results in CANCER.

Is it Certain? Well, if you want 100% Certainty, then there is nothing that is 100%.

But once it is placed on the Class 2-B carcinogen list, the MANDATORY installation onto people's homes of these Wireless so-called smart meters has to be stopped in any civilized or rational country.

A utility company searching for greater profits or a government searching for greater power should NOT be allowed to jeopardize the children or make the parents unable to protect their own children.

Voluntary risks are another matter, but the MANDATORY installation of these Wireless meters on homes has to STOP immediately. And those with Wireless radiating meters already installed have to be allowed to have them removed.

When Hitler put a Jew on a train to a death camp, was it certain that the Jew would be killed. Well no, but that is NOT a risk that any rational person would choose to take. But if anyone wants to get on that train, I guess it is their right in a free country, but to force anyone on a train is way off the mark of reasonable, etc.

Most comments on these blogs that say "wait and lets see" and lets keep installing these cancer meters in the mean time are shills supported by the utility companies.

Unsupported claims

This article claims that the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that the radiation emitted by cellphones and SMART meters are cancer-causing. According to a statement released by the WHO in June 2011 (Please refer to http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs193/en/ ), they are investigating the carcinogenic effects of such radiation because of the ubiquity or wide-spread use of cellphones. To date, scientific inquiry has failed to confirm any cancer-causing effects of such radiation (Please refer to one such study at http://www.who.int/peh-emf/meetings/archive/en/keynote5dawoud.pdf). I think this is important to point out as this article seems to grossly misinterpret the previous statements of the WHO by turning "possibility" into "fact" and generalizing from cellphone use (which is a device most people hold up right to their heads for large period of times) to the implementation of SMART meters in the home.

The only evident "danger" I see here is people failing to read legitimate sources and instead jumping to immediate action based on sensationalist news stories and biased media.

Scientists Confirm WHO Findings Do Apply to Smart Meters too

The above comment is very misleading, likely written by someone who wants to keep the wireless meters "in" for the utilties, despite the dangers. Dr. Olle Johansson and Dr. Andrew Goldsworthy, both rf radiation/wireless experts in Europe, confirm that the WHO findings do apply to smart meters as rf radiation-emitting devices. Visit www.smartmeterdangers.org to read the letter from Dr. J.

SDG&E's (and your water districts') info about wireless smart meters (of any type) and health is OUTDATED, not independent of the industry, and has not kept up with the science. The WHO info is from 2006. In 2011, WHO reversed itself and listed rf radiation as a 2B carcinogen. Scientists are vehemently warning against smart meters, as are doctors, as is the CA Dept of Health. SDG&E has been ordered (objecting loudly) to attend a Smart Meter Opt-Out Workshop on Sept 14th in San Francisco, along with three other major utiltiies, by two Administrative Law Judges for the regulatory commission (CPUC) due to the 46 communities that have rejected and/or criminalized the installation of smart meters. The installation and use of any wireless meter, no matter what you or any utility calls it, is dangerous to the health of the citizens and making some people extremely sick. It also intrudes uipon privacy. People who are impacted or don't want to risk the health (and privacy) of their family should immediately file a complaint with SDG&E in writing and the CPUC (www.cpuc.ca.gov). Put Center for Electrosmog Prevention on copy, director@electrosmogprevention.org, so we can vouch that this has been turned in as sometimes the complaints are "lost" at the CPUC. Convince your towns, cities and counties to take a stand against smart meters, like 46 others in CA, including Santa Barbara city and county. Visit www.smartmeterdangers.org and www.electrosmogprevention.org for more info. Read the August 2011 La Mesa Patch info about SM's too, 4 articles this month: www.lamesa.patch.org, search on words: smart meters.

Shills for the utiity companies abound

Shills are hired to write responses such as the above, by the utility companies. They have spent millions on Public Relations shills, so citizens, beware.
The above is an example of what we see pumped out to the public. FACT: many thousands of Californians sick from smart meters. FACT: scientists against smart meters by the hundreds FACT: smart meters benefit only the utilities who will gouge you with time of use pricing, soon to come, already approved. FACT: rf radiation comes out of the meters at levels known to harm.

Shills need not reply.

Really?

Just because you put the word "FACT" in front of something does not magically make what you say factual. It's interesting that you assume any person with an argument counter to your own must be a "shill" hired by utility companies.

Tell me, how do utility companies benefit from smart meters, i.e., what do they have to gain by installing them and allegedly exposing us all (including those we work and manage such companies, since, yes, they are citizens too who also consume electricity monitored by smart meters) to "dangerous levels of cancer-causing radiation?" Making more money? How? By installing new equipment in households county-wide? Sounds like an expense to me. By killing off their customers with cancer? Wait, no, that's loss of business. By allowing consumers a resource that might make them more efficient energy users? These are just speculations of my own and I'd be entertained by your take, so please, make your response.

Supported Claims!

Did it occur to you that perhaps these protestors have better things to do, but they know about the harmful effects of Smart Meters? There is quite a bit of research out there! Do some web searching or read about it at www.stopsmartmeters.org or www.emfsafetynetwork.org .

This, for example, is an interesting segment about cell phones. Skip to minute 5 to see how one man reacts... www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8JNFr_j6kdI

We KNOW cell phone radiation is harming us. The information from San Francisco's Sutro tower alone should be sufficient. (For another good video see the “Dark Side of Smart Meters” on YouTube.) Smart Meters use the same radiation as cell phones. The difference is that Smart Meters pulse the microwave radiation which has more severe biological effects.

Frankly I have better things to do than respond to this forum too. I would like to be working, gardening, or doing my income taxes which I had to extend because I was too ill to do them. You see, my health was taken away from me when Smart Meters were put into my neighborhood. I went through a living hell of symptoms—getting sunburned without sun exposure, physical weakness, neurological symptoms, severe dehydration… Who would ever have guessed that meters to measure my utility usage were at fault?

So not only has my health been compromised, but I cannot live in my own home. Unfortunately I am not alone—there are many like me and our numbers are growing. PG&E will do nothing but spend more money to convince you that these meters are safe and necessary. The California Public Utilities Commission hears people like me at their every meeting and yet they do nothing. Learn about the people in charge and you will find BIG money distorting the truth.

Great resources

Yes, I have seen your resources before, but thank you. You do realize that I, too, could at any moment register a domain such as smartmetertruths.org and fill it up with all sorts of blog posts, as these have done. Or I could create videos and post them to a public video website such as youtube. Do you realize what academics and scientific professionals must go through in order to get their literature published in a reputable scientific journal? I suggest you look up the process and then get back to me with more relevant sources to back your arguments.

Statements of CA Dept of Health, Scientists and Doctors, Studies

All of our info is from independent scientists, physicians, credible authorities like CA Dept of Health and WHO. Rf radiation is definitely a risk and a danger. The utility companies hire people to decry this information as they stand to make billions off of us using the wireless meters to charge for time of day use, up to ten times the old rate for electricity during heat waves, etc. Don't be fooled by these comments telling you this is not a risk. I am a public school teacher (retired) and ten year activist in the area of environmental health, have worked alongside CDC and US EPA to rid schools of mold and change the CDC's mold information to align with current science. The utilities have a major stake in keeping us ignorant of the current science pertaining to smart meters, which is on www.smartmeterdangers.org and www.electrosmogprevention.org.

SDG&E and the water district info about wireless smart meters (of any type) and health is OUTDATED, not independent of the industry, and has not kept up with the science. The WHO info is from 2006. In 2011, WHO reversed itself and listed rf radiation as a 2B carcinogen. Scientists are vehemently warning against smart meters, as are doctors, as is the CA Dept of Health. SDG&E has been ordered (objecting loudly) to attend a Smart Meter Opt-Out Workshop on Sept 14th in San Francisco, along with three other major utiltiies, by two Administrative Law Judges for the regulatory commission (CPUC) due to the 46 communities that have rejected and/or criminalized the installation of smart meters. The installation and use of any wireless meter, no matter what you or any utility calls it, is dangerous to the health of the citizens and making some people extremely sick. It also intrudes uipon privacy. People who are impacted or don't want to risk the health (and privacy) of their family should immediately file a complaint with SDG&E in writing and the CPUC (www.cpuc.ca.gov). Put Center for Electrosmog Prevention on copy so we can vouch that this has been turned in as sometimes the complaints are "lost" at the CPUC. Convince your towns, cities and counties to take a stand against smart meters, like 46 others in CA, including Santa Barbara city and county. Visit www.smartmeterdangers.org and www.electrosmogprevention.org for more info. Read the August 2011 La Mesa Patch info about SM's too.