Transmitting Smart Meters Pose a Serious Threat to Public Health

8/3/2019 Transmitting Smart Meters Pose a Serious Threat to Public Health

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Transmitting Smart Meters Pose A Serious Threat To Public Health

Transmitting smart meters are being installed nationwide on gas, water, and electrical services,

driven in part by funding for the Smart Grid Program approved as part of the American Recovery

and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

This is of great concern because the exposure to microwave and radiowave radiation from these

meters is involuntary and continuous. The transmitting meters may not even comply with Federal

Communications Commission (FCC) "safety" standards (see http://sagereports.com/smart-meter-

rf/). However, those standards were initially designed to protect an average male from tissue

heating (cooking) during a brief exposure. These standards were not designed to protect a diverse

population from the non-thermal effects of continuous exposure to microwave and radiowave

radiation. Therefore, these "safety" standards were not designed to protect the public from health

problems under the circumstances which the meters are being used. The transmitting meters most

often being used transmit continuously, every few seconds. This is picked up by a receiver and

logged by the utility. You are exposed to the transmissions from all the meters within transmitting

range. The meters often have a range of over 2 miles. Thus, the exposure is continuous and the

"safety" standards the meters comply with are irrelevant to the situation. Please read this letter

from the Radiation Protection Division of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding the

limitations of the FCC standards.

Some transmitting meters transmit at less frequent intervals, however, they still seem to be

causing health problems. This could be due to the still elevated levels of radiowaves and

microwaves in the neighborhood because of all the neighbors transmitters. Remember, many,

many meters are transmitting at these intervals. (One person with a meter transmitting hourly

reports waking at the time it transmits.)

The transmitting meters can also put high frequencies directly on home and building wiring. This

can happen deliberately through signaling to electrical loads or inadvertently through poor

engineering. Poorly engineered meters can cause electrical pollution by putting the transmitted

signal directly on home wiring or by the way they draw power to operate. Signals in the range of 30

to 60 kHz have been measured and result from poor engineering in the way the meters obtain

power from the electrical grid in order to operate. Taking the steps on the Solutions page can help

alleviate symptoms being caused by the meters. Meters could be properly engineered so that they

would not be highly electrically polluting. Whether deliberate or inadvertent, studies are finding

high frequencies on building wiring is related to a host of health problems. Milham and Morgan

found a dose-response relationship between high frequencies present on building wiring andcancer. Removing high frequencies on building wiring has improved MS symptoms, blood sugar

levels, asthma, sleep quality, teacher health, headaches, ADD, and numerous other health

problems. (Visit Research page to see papers.) Technical papers provide a solid electrical and

biomolecular basis for these effects. A recent paper by Ozen, showed that transients induce much

stronger current density levels in the human body than does the powerline 60Hz signal. A technical

paper by Vignati and Giuliani discusses the authors' findings that high frequency communication

signals on power lines also induce much stronger electrical currents in the human body than a low


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frequency signal of the same strength. The induced currents disturb normal intercellular

communications. This causes harmful short-term and long-term effects. Please see the Technical

page for information about properly measuring the high frequencies on building wiring that are

causing health problems. There is also a simple meter that lay people can use to easily measure

most high frequencies on building wiring.

The additional electrical pollution from the transmitting meters is also greatly exacerbating the

ground current problem. Please see the Introduction page for more details about ground currents.

The objectives of the Smart Grid Program can be accomplished without transmitting meters and

without using other technology such as high frequency communication over power lines, which are

also harmful to human health. It simply requires that meters be selected that are properly

engineered to meet the needs of the program without using dangerous technology. Multi-rate

billing and other sophisticated metering options do not require that the meter transmit. Models

are available that download periodically on phone lines, dedicated communication lines, or are

read by a reader the meter reader carries. Dedicated communication cables can be used to shut off

or allow on certain power consuming electronics such as air conditioners. It is essential that only

meters that do not transmit or put high frequency signals on building wiring are approved for the

Smart Grid Program. At this time, however, it is important to know that many new appliances are

being outfitted with transmitters that transmit continuously and cannot be turned off. Be sure to

ask detailed questions if you are purchasing new appliances.

The un-safeness of the "safety" standards for the continuously transmitting smart meters is

apparent from the reports of health problems ranging from headaches to poor sleep to heart

palpitations that begin after their installation.

Transmitted microwave and radiofrequency radiation also have the potential for causing serious

long-term health consequences, even for those who do not notice overt symptoms. The majority of

independent studies report similar results: impairment of cellular communication, DNA breakages,

increased stress proteins, etc. Studies targeting cellphone and cordless phone usage are finding

increased risk of brain tumors. Children seem to be particularly vulnerable. A review of studies

performed prior to 2007 is available at http://www.bioinitiative.org. A recent public health study

provides particularly strong evidence that we should be concerned about continuous exposure to

transmitted microwave radiation. It can be found in a paper published in Pathophysiology(Volume

16, Issue 1, June 2009, Pages 43-46) Apparent decreases in Swedish public health indicators after

1997-Are they due to improved diagnostics or to environmental factors?. The authors looked at

trend lines in data collected by the Swedish government and found that the introduction of

cellphone technology nationwide in 1997 coincided with the beginning of an accelerating

deterioration of several health indicators. Specifically, the rates of prostate cancer, brain tumors,melanomas and lung cancers in the elderly all increased dramatically. So did deaths from

Alzheimer's disease, traffic accident injuries, sick leave rates, and percentage of infants born with

heart problems. This paper is short and well worth reading. We should resolve the public health

questions before introducing further public exposure to microwave radiation, particularly

involuntary continuous exposure.

Radiowave and microwave radiation are not just a problem for people, they are causing serious


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problems for animals of all types and plant life as well. Please visit http://www.hese-

project.org/hese-uk/en/issues/emr.php?id=beesand http://www.hese-project.org/hese-

uk/en/issues/ for more information.

I will be sending updates regarding the issue of transmitting smart meters out to my email list. You

may join the list by typing "join email list" in the subject heading when you email the Webmaster at

[email protected]. I will also be updating the website.

Ifyou do not have a transmitting smart meter and do not want one for health reasons, in

addition to contacting your utility andPublic Service Commission or Public Utility Commission in

writing, please do the following:

y Spread the word about the public health threat posed by transmitting smart meters. Linkto http://www.electricalpollution.com/smartmeters.html on your Facebook or MySpace

page, if you have one, notify your friends online via email, or write a Letter to the Editor of

your local paper - it is likely to be published.

o You can find American Coalition Against Smart Meters, a Facebook Cause athttp://www.causes.com/causes/594297-american-coalition-against-smart-meters

y Install a permanent sign on/near your meter(s) asking that no transmitting meter beinstalled. (Temporary signs seem to easily get "lost" or "blow away".) See picture. This one

utilizes vinyl lettering.

y Send your legislators and regulators both state and national these reports on the healthrisks posed by transmitting meters

o Comment submitted by Daniel Hirsch, UC Santa Cruz Nuclear Policy Expert, to theCalifornia Council on Science and Technology details modeling flaws and concludes

that microwave radiation levels emitted by transmitting meters being used in

California are far in excess of claims. The comment can be found at

http://www.ccst.us/projects/smart2/documents/letter8hirsch.pdf

o Sage Associates performed computer modeling and did measurements on at leasttwo models of transmitting electrical meters. They have found that under certain

circumstances those meters are not even in compliance with the inadequate FCC

guidelines.http://sagereports.com/smart-meter-rf/.

y Work toward getting an opt-out program in your state. Precedent has been set in Mainefor each state having such a program. See the following press release for information

about the decision in favor of requiring an opt-out program: Maine Public UtilitiesCommission orders Central Maine Power Company to provide opt-out program -

http://www.skeltontaintorabbott.net/news/85/77/Skelton-Taintor-Abbott-Wins-

Landmark-Smart-Meter-Case.html

y The fact that in spite of the hype, transmitting meters are not helping to save energyshould help in obtaining an opt-out program. See this press release from the Connecticut

Attorney General stating that they have asked that the Department of Public Utility Control


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terminate the Connecticut smart meter program on those grounds after a pilot study

showed that there were no energy savings

http://www.ct.gov/ag/lib/ag/press_releases/2011/020811clpmeters.pdf. Ask your

attorney general to do the same. Please also pass this on to environmental groups and

others pushing this program on the basis of energy savings.

y It is far more energy efficient to transmit data over fiberoptic cables, or even copper wiresthan to transmit it wirelessly, according to a Swiss study wireless transmission takes 3

times as much energy. It is essential that those pushing transmitting meters see this

information. http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2009/06/embodied-energy-of-digital-

technology.html#more

y Use this brief, but thorough outline of the full scope of the public health threat posed byexposure to high frequencies from electrical pollution and from transmitters to educate

your legislators and other professionals concerned with public health about the threat

and the solutions. Click here for more information on how to be most effective.

y Use the Smart Grid Background document and the Smart Grid Opt-out documentsprepared by Sage Associates about the Smart Grid System being used by some utilities in

California to educate yourself and others and to take action. These documents are geared

specifically for people who are on those utilities in California. However, they may be useful

to others as well. Please feel free to pass them on.

y Modify and use handouts available at http://emfsafetynetwork.org/ to raise awarenessabout this public health threat. Others have successfully used this information to call for a

moratorium on transmitting smart meter installation in their area. See

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-

bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/26/BU871C79IM.DTL&type=business for an article on the

fight in Sebastopol, CA, USA.

y Email the small file size poster about the public health threat posed by transmitting utilitymeters or print and post it in your community. Use the large file for better resolution, if

necessary.

y Write George Arnold, National Coordinator for Smart Grid Interoperability. He has thepower to set policy on meter qualifications for the Smart Grid Program. The program

could, for instance, require non-transmitting and non-electrically polluting meters.

However, he will have to be convinced of the public health threat they pose in order to do

so.

(I am in the process of adding to this list. Please join my email list by typing "join email list" in the

subject heading when you email the Webmaster at [email protected] check

back for additional important actions you can take.)

Ifyou already have a transmitting meter and it is causing you health problems, please:

y See the Solutions pagefor steps you can take to reduce your exposure to


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radiofrequencies. Often reducing your exposure to all sources makes you more able to

tolerate the sources over which you have no control. In the Transmitters section, there are

now instructions for shielding the transmitting meters to protect your health while you

work toward getting them removed.

y Use this information to educate your physician and obtain a letter supporting your needto retain or regain your non-transmitting utility meters. This information may also give

them the documentation they need to make the diagnosis of Radiofrequency Sickness. The

only cure for which is to remove the source(s) of exposure.

o "A Basic Summary of the Neurological Effects of Radiofrequency Sickness"o Use the following references to educate your physician about the very

immediate and serious effects transmitted radiofrequency radiation can have on

your heart.

Provocation Study using Heart Rate Variability Shows Radiation from 2.4GHz Cordless Phone Affects Autonomic Nervous System (Eur. J. Oncol.Library, vol. 5)

HTTP://WWW.MAGDAHAVAS.COM/2011/03/06/PICK-OF-THE-WEEK-24-MICROWAVE-RADIATION-AFFECTS-THE-HEART/

http://www.magdahavas.com/2010/12/02/pick-of-the-week-18-effect-of-microwaves-on-the-central-nervous-system-1965-german-translation/

o This reference is relatively short with a good definition of radiofrequencysickness and shows that these symptoms do in fact occur close to transmitters. R.

Santinir, P. Santini, P. Le Ruz, J. M. Danze, and M. Seignel. Survey Study of People

Living in the Vicinity of Cellular Phone Base Stations, Electromagnetic Biology and

Medicine, Vol.22, No.1, pp.41-49, 2003

o A sample letter could be as simple as the letter below (I recommend changing andpersonalizing it to fit your situation, obviously.):

Dear ***

My patient, ****, began suffering symptoms of radiofrequency sickness shortly after installation of

the transmitting smart meter on her/his home. Radiofrequency sickness is caused by overexposure

to radiofrequency radiation (cite article(s)- see above) and is resulting in her/his case from the

exposure being caused by your meters. Please immediately remove the meter and replace it with

non-transmitting induction-type watt hour meter/non-transmitting mechanical gas/water meter soas to prevent her/his health from deteriorating further.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

o Your physician may want to use the comment submitted by Daniel Hirsch, UC


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Santa Cruz Nuclear Policy Expert, to the California Council on Science and

Technology to support their assertion ofharm. It details modeling flaws and

concludes that microwave radiation levels emitted by transmitting meters being

used in California are far in excess of utility claims. The comment can be found at

http://www.ccst.us/projects/smart2/documents/letter8hirsch.pdf

y Find out ifthe transmitting meter you have or would have is UL approved. Manytransmitting meters have not been UL listed. Many state and local ordinances require UL

listing in order for it to be legal to install. Please take a moment to write down the

manufacturer, model information, serial number, and any other identifying from your

transmitting utility meters. Then search the Underwriters Laboratory database at

http://database.ul.com/cgi-bin/XYV/cgifind.new/LISEXT/1FRAME/index.html or call them

at 1.877.854.3577 in the US. (Phone numbers to contact in other countries can be found at

http://www.ul.com/global/eng/pages/corporate/contactus/ ) If you speak directly to UL,

which would be a good idea if you do not find your meter in the database, please get the

name of the person you speak to, please also note particulars of the conversation and the

date it occurred.

If you find that your meters - electrical, water or gas - have not been tested and approved, it may

give you, your town, city, county, or state a basis to require removal of the meters. Please check

into the relevant laws under "electrical"...

When you have done this, please relay what you have found - Meter type, manufacturer, model

information, serial number, and any other identifying from your transmitting utility meters,

whether it is UL approved - along with approval numbers, where you live - town and state is fine,

and your utility to the EMR Policy Institute so it can be collected and tabulated. Please send

emails to [email protected] with "Transmitting meter UL Approval information" in the subject

heading so that they can independently compile the UL approval information.

UL listing generally indicates fire safety, among other things. Smart meters in CA have caused fires

according to this article.

y Please file a written complaint with your PSC/PUC, both the federal agencies listedbelow, the New York State Public Service Commission, and then send a copy ofthose

complaints to Consumer Reports and the EMR Policy Institute at [email protected] with

"Transmitting Smart Meter Complaint" in the subject heading so that they can

independently compile the complaints. (Please be prepared to give product information,

including manufacturer and model number, and health symptoms.) If the product is not UL

listed, please be sure to include that information.

o Food and Drug Administration - The FDA regulates electronic consumer productsthat emit radiation (such as microwave ovens and video monitors and cellphones).

You can file a complaint through the Medwatch Program on their website at

https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/medwatch-online.htm or by

calling 1-800-FDA-1088. The same program that regulates medical devices,

regulates consumer products that emit radiation.


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o Consumer Product Safety Commission - The Consumer Product Safety Commissionis responsible for taking dangerous products off the market. You can file a

complaint with the Consumer Product Safety Commission at 1-800-638-2772 or

https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx.

o NYS State Public Service Commission - Even persons who are not residents of NYState can file a complaint with them about AMR, transmitting, or "smart" utility

meters. This can be done by emailing them at: [email protected] with

"Smart Grid Case # 10E0285 Complaint Dangerous "smart" Meter" in the subject

line or by filing a complaint at

http://documents.dps.state.ny.us/public/MatterManagement/CaseMaster.aspx?M

atterCaseNo=10-E-0285using Case # 10-E -0285

o Consumer Reports - Consumer Reports is an independent nonprofit concernedwith product safety. They are one of the most influential non-governmental

product safety organizations. It is essential to getting their attention focused on

this issue that they receive notice of safety problems caused by the transmitting

meters so please go to http://custhelp.consumerreports.org/cgi-

bin/consumerreports.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php. This is their email contact form.

You will need to select Consumer Reports Magazine, Share an experience,

Reporting a safety issue in the successive pulldown menus.

o EMR Policy Institute - Please send a copy of the complaints filed with the FDA andthe Consumer Product Safety Commission to the EMR Policy Institute at

[email protected] with "Transmitting Smart Meter Complaint" in the subject

heading so that they can independently compile the complaints. This is not a

substitute for filing complaints with the FDA or the Consumer Product Safety

Commission.

It is very important that you file a written complaint with your PSC/PUC. Written complaints

often get handled differently and often state statutes require that the PSC/PUC open an official

inquiry ifa certain number ofcomplaints on the same topic are received.

The Americans with Disabilities Act

Information about the ADA can be found at www.ADA.gov. Amendments at the beginning of 2010

have expanded the scope of the ADA.

Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer, so this does not constitute legal advice, just a list avenues and

options you may want to explore. You may need to consult a lawyer specializing disability law inorder to fully protect your rights.

Those of you who have been diagnosed with a disability that is related to your exposure to

radiofrequency radiation or are disabled by radiofrequency sickness may have additional options

for places to turn to. Local Centers for Independent Living may be able to offer some assistance. In

spite of the fact that there was an article in the the NCIL newsletter about radiofrequency sickness

and transmitting smart meters (http://www.ncil.org/resources/radiofrequencyarticle.html), you


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should count on having to educate your local CIL. The article that ran in the NCIL newsletter may

help, as might the information above for physicians. They may be able to help give guidance and

support in dealing with the utility companies.

If after a written request for reasonable accommodation - e.g. monthly self-reporting, verified

during mandated meter checks annually or every six months (you will need to check your state PSC

or PUC statues to check the requirements) - your utility and PSC are denying your request, you can

file a complaint with the United States Department of Justice Civil Rights ADA Division. (Requests

for Accommodation should be made in writing so they are replied to in writing so you have the

documentation you need to proceed. If possible they should be accompanied by a doctor's letter.

You will need to address the request in writing both to the utility and the PSC/PUC either

sequentially or simultaneously before proceeding.)

Please be sure to include documentation of the denial of reasonable accommodation, doctors

letters, and research articles documenting the existence of detrimental biological effects.

Complaints against public entities are Title II complaints. The PSC/PUC and municipal utilities

should fall into this category. Title II complaint forms can be found at:

http://www.ADA.gov/t2cmpfrm.htm

Complaints against a private business (publicly regulated private utilities) are Title III complaints

and can be filed by emailing them to [email protected], if you all use "Transmitting Meter

Complaint" in the subject heading they will be more obviously related. Information about filing a

Title III complaint can be found at http://www.ADA.gov/publicat.htm#Anchor-TitleIII-11481

The volume ofcomplaints is often used to determine the extent ofa problem so please do file a

complaint if the PSC/PUC and utility will not accommodate you or if the accommodation is

burdensome. (High fees for a service that would be free if the request were made for other

reasons could seem discriminatory and burdensome.)

Please also send a copy of complaints filed with the Justice Department to the Disability Rights

Education Defense Fund (www.DREDF.org) at [email protected], again, if you all use "Transmitting

Meter Complaint" in the subject heading they will be more obviously related. DREDF works on both

legislation and litigation, as they deem fit so they are very important to get up to speed.

They will not stop installing these meters unless complaints are filed. Check back or join the email

list for further steps you can take.

You may join the list by typing "join email list" in the subject heading when you email the

Webmaster at [email protected].

The only known cure for RadioWave Sickness is to stop being exposed to high frequencies.

Please see the Solutions page for a list of steps you can take to reduce your exposure to high

frequencies in your home and the Take Action page for other ways you can help restore a safe EMF

environment to the world.

--- On Wed, 12/10/11, [email protected] wrote:


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Documents

Transmitting Smart Meters Pose a Serious Threat to Public Health