I have pasted two Letters to the Editor that were published in my local paper below. They were published almost in their entirety. The second one was published without most of the sentences containing links.
I am passing these on for two reasons.
One, to encourage you all to write Letters to the Editor in your local papers. If you can get them published in state or national papers even better, but local papers often publish any letter that is not libelous. This is often a very useful tool to get the word out in your community.
People are often reluctant to contact a person they do not know directly, so do not be discouraged if you do not get contacts even if you put personal contact information in your letter. Be sure to put enough information that people can research the problem on their own and know what specifically to do in your locale.
Two, to highlight the importance of filing complaints, particularly with utilities and the PSC/PUC on paper. Complaints on paper are treated differently from those taken over the phone. If transmitting meters are a serious problem for you, it is very important to file a paper complaint with documentation and request for accommodation. Paper complaints are responded to on paper. This gives you the documentation you will need to proceed further, whether that is to filing a complaint with the DOJ about an ADA violation or talking to your legislators about requiring an opt-out program or taking legal action. They also, as I note in the editorial below, can trigger the necessity for a more formal legal treatment of the issue if enough people file them. This varies state to state and country to country. In Wisconsin, 25 complaints on paper should trigger further action.
Catherine
March 31, 2011
Dear Editor,
Two weeks ago we received notice that We Energies would be disconnecting our electricity in 48 hours. No, we are not in arrears. We are customers in good standing and this is still within the moratorium period. They should not be disconnecting even delinquent ratepayers. Their excuse - a supposed safety violation.
We have padlocked OUR meter pedestal shut so that they cannot install the new transmitting electrical meter, a meter we know to be hazardous to our health. There is no safety issue since even the utility engineer agreed that they can easily disconnect the power to our house in an emergency by removing the fuse in our ground mount transformer.
In reality, they are trying to disconnect us because they do not want to allow us to refuse the transmitting meter. The transmitting meters they want to install transmit an impulse of microwave radiation every 6 seconds. I already have radiofrequency sickness and my family is sensitive to it. We would begin experiencing symptoms immediately and worsen over time.
Transmitting meters are making people across the country sick. Prominent symptoms being reported are heart arrhythmias, headaches, poor sleep, low energy, inability to concentrate, short-term memory problems, facial flushing and rash. A more complete list can be found at
http://www.electricalpollution.com . Other wireless devices and compact fluorescent lightbulbs can also cause these symptoms. One way to find out if there is a relationship between your symptoms and exposure to radiofrequency radiation, which includes microwaves, is to try reducing your exposure. The Solutions Page at
http://www.electricalpollution.com has suggestions for doing that.
If you are interested in learning more about radiofrequency radiation and health, you may want to watch the Full Signal DVD or read Disconnect by Devra Davis, PhD or Dirty Electricity by Dr. Sam Milham, all should be available through the library.
We just received notice that the Public Service Commission is going to stand by and allow the utility to force us to take a utility meter we know to be dangerous and disconnect our power if we will not. This is a travesty. Read more at
http://www.electricalpollution.com to find out whether radiofrequency radiation is making you sick and what you can do about it.
May 23, 2011
Dear Editor,
We wrote to you about the health effects caused by We Energies? new AMR meters and the bullying tactics used against us. (Tuesday, April 19, 2011)
We were disappointed by Joan Schafer s (Vice President of Customer Relations, We Energies) disingenuous response (Wednesday May 4, 2011) to the issues we raised.
The FCC standards cited by We Energies are only designed to protect a 6 foot 185 pound male from tissue heating during a six minute exposure. They are not designed to protect even this large male from the biological effects that exposure to radiofrequency radiation cause. Nor do they protect smaller males, women, children, babies, or pregnant women from either tissue heating or biological effects. Norbert Hankin of the Radiation Protection Division of the EPA even says so (
http://www.emrpolicy.org/litigation/case_law/docs/noi_epa_response.pdf ;
http://www.emrpolicy.org/litigation/case_law/docs/epa_to_fcc_3nov_93.pdf ;
http://www.emrpolicy.org/litigation/case_law/docs/exhibit_a.pdf ).
We Energies? new AMR meter transmits a large pulse of microwave radiation once every six seconds. When the amount of radiation is averaged over the entire 6 seconds, the average amount is in compliance with the FCC tissue heating guidelines. Pulsed signals are very biologically active. Nerves, for example, use pulses. See
http://www.electricalpollution.com/smartmeters.html to find a basic explanation of the cardiac and neurological effects of radiofrequency radiation.
Ms. Schafer claims to be concerned about safety. Yet, the meters that We Energies is trying to force on us, and has installed throughout the area, are NOT UL approved. There is no UL approval seal on the meters. Nor have the two different UL employees we have spoken to been able to find any record of this meter in their database. A different non-UL listed AMR meter being used in California has caused fires (
http://www.turnto23.com/north_river_county/21601647/detail.html ). Furthermore, both We Energies and the PSC continue to ignore the dangerous levels of radiofrequencies present on the electrical grid. It has taken one and a half months, two written complaints and one conversation with Sue Crane, Manager Special Projects at We Energies, to even get We Energies to suggest a cursory measurement of the radiofrequency radiation radiating from our transformer, and wiring, and causing heart rhythm abnormalities for our family, particularly our children.
We Energies has a history of installing transmitting meters against the express wishes of the property owners and refusing to change them back. We know from experience that the transmitting meters would cause us to be unhealthy and miserable. We had to leave a family Christmas celebration early because our young son was crying and begging to leave since he felt wretched, this in spite of the family, food, presents, and candy. He was fine by the time we arrived home an hour later. The house we were at had transmitting gas and electrical meters.
So, to keep our families safe, we installed a padlock on our meter pedestals. During a conversation about the supposed safety issue and the fact that We Energies can easily disconnect power to our farm at our transformer in case of an emergency, Tom Held (Supervising Engineer Meter Technology) concurred saying 'I know. They can pull the fuse.'
We Energies has generously presented us with three options: take the transmitting meters; take the transmitting meters and move them within our property, at our considerable expense, - wasted money since the meters have a range of miles; or get off the grid. We asked for the entirely reasonable accommodation of self-reporting monthly using their telephone call-in system with verification during their legally required meter checks every six months. In spite of this being in the PSC statutes as an option, We Energies refused our request for reasonable accommodation, as has the PSC.
Ours is not the only health complaint We Energies has received, but it is not required to tabulate or report them as specifically related to the meter. People commonly report experiencing heart arrhythmias, headaches, poor sleep, low energy, inability to concentrate, short-term memory problems, facial flushing and rash. If you are experiencing health problems related to a transmitting meter and have not received help from your utility company, complain in writing to the Commissioners at the PSC. It is important that you send a copy of the complaint to your legislators with a cover letter asking that they introduce legislation requiring tabulation of transmitting meter related health problems, as well as requiring removal of transmitting meters and replacement with either non-transmitting induction-type watt hour meters or non-transmitting mechanical gas or water meters. If over twenty five written complaints are filed, the Commission can no longer treat them as informal complaints and should open a docket.
'Smart meters' present various issues, problems
Canada.com
By Chris Stafford, The Daily News June 8, 2011
It is the plan of power and energy authorities worldwide to replace current utility meters with wireless devices. These 'Smart Meters' are enthusiastically promoted by governments and industry as a 'green ...
http://www.canada.com/Smart+meters+present+various+issues+problems/4912396/story.html
Complaints about San Diego Gas and Electric smart meters
Upon installation of the smart meter, a power surge occurred and burned up my fridge & electric car which was plugged in inside my garage being charged.
http://www.rumormillnews.com/cgi-bin/archive.cgi?read=196239
On cellphone antenna upgrades, some Arlington residents signal disapproval
Washington Post
By Christy Goodman, Several residents on Old Glebe Road are against a proposal to replace cellphone antennas in the steeple of a neighborhood church. The antenna upgrades are to add capacity for AT&T s new 4G service and meet all federal requirements, ...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/2011/06/06/AGxjDSNH_story.html
Smart Meters Spark Debate in Shelby Twp.
VIDEO
Patch.com
Conversation heated up Tuesday at the Shelby Township Board of Trustees meeting when DTE representatives came to speak about smart meters.
By Marina Cracchiolo
For more information about smart meters in Shelby Township, ...
http://shelby-utica.patch.com/articles/video-smart-meters-spark-debate-in-shelby-twp#video-6518521
Informant: Martin Weatherall
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Health Concerns Around Smart-Meters - what are they
SmartMeters
There is no getting away from it, health risks, especially for people with electrosensitivity, are important to consider and concerns around this are...
http://www.smartmeters.com/the-news/2317-health-concerns-around-smart-meters-what-are-they.html
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Smart meter opponents seek public support
Gulf Islands Driftwood
Opponents like Anderson - who worked for years in radio-frequency installation and now does electromagnetic testing for green homes and buildings - say there are serious health effects associated with exposure to electromagnetic radiation...
http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_south/saltspringislanddriftwood/news/123872404.html
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----- Original Message -----
From: Milt Bowling
Sent: Saturday, June 11, 2011 7:09 PM
Subject: CFL bulbs TV interview
I was interviewed in a TV debate on CFL bulbs via skype on June 9th.
http://www.albertaprimetime.com/Stories.aspx?pd=2437
Informant: Iris Atzmon
--------
Tips when buying energy-efficient light bulbs
http://www.witness.co.za/index.php?showcontent&global[_id]=63044
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