Group of Inverness Residents Stand up to PG&E, Block Trucks, Demand a Stop to Smart Meters.
Point Reyes Station, CA- Two mothers from West Marin County were arrested this morning after PG&E ordered Sheriffs deputies to clear the two out of the way as a group of concerned residents gathered on Sir Francis Drake Blvd. in Inverness Park to deny access to PG&E’s ‘smart’ meter contractors Wellington Energy. According to Elizabeth Whitney, a local who was present at the scene, “there was a group of about two dozen residents blocking about ten Wellington Energy trucks on Sir Francis Drake Blvd this morning. After some indecision and confusion amid stopped traffic, sheriffs deputies arrived on the scene. Under the direction of the sheriffs, eight of the trucks cooperated in making U-turns and turning back while the group stepped aside. The remaining two trucks lingered at the location (in front of a local delicatessen) in friendly conversation with the locals but then turned toward Inverness unexpectedly and caused the protest group to resume their blockade. Two local mothers were arrested and taken into custody for failure to disperse. Sir Francis Drake Blvd. is the only access to Inverness and the incident took place in Inverness Park, two miles south of the town.”
Residents are reacting in part to numerous reports of people getting sick from the high intensity microwave radiation pulses from the new meters. Wireless impulses from the new meters radiate 24 hours a day and are approximately 2-3 times the intensity of a cell phone according to independent experts. Cell phones are increasingly being linked to brain tumors, and other health problems. Despite widespread calls for a moratorium until assurances can be made about the meters’ safety, PG&E- with the help of the industry backed CA Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)- continues to force the meters onto homes and businesses, even while a state-ordered investigation into ‘smart’ meter health impacts is under way. The utility has been refusing to remove meters that are making people sick, despite more than 2000 health complaints to the CPUC.
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PG&E and its subcontractors Wellington Energy have been using more aggressive installation tactics, and according to locals, appear to be almost waging war on its customers. “Why are they in such a hurry? If this technology is safe and their goal is to reach out to the customer and listen to their concerns, then why are they trying to install smart meters as fast as possible in West Marin? Why aggressively roll out a technology on an unwilling customer base, it just doesn’t make sense in terms of their PR.” Said Scott McMorrow of Inverness.
According to Katharina Sandizell of Point Reyes Station, a mother of two, and one of the women who was arrested this morning, “PG&E is using shock and awe tactics on it’s customers. Smart meters are being installed without public consent, without even knocking on doors to check if it’s safe to turn off the electricity. They are rolling over civil liberties and getting these things installed as quickly as possible so that people don’t have time to consider the implications or ask questions. If they have nothing to hide, then what’s the rush?”
“We will continue to risk arrest to protect our children, our community, and our civil liberties…the only way that I know to stop installation of smart meters is to put a body between the installer and the meter, and I will continue to do this until I don’t have to anymore. But I would rather be at home with my daughter” said Miss June of Inverness, a working mother who was also arrested today.
KQED radio reports from the scene
I have experienced, first hand, the health effects from Smart Meters. It started with ringing ears (progressing to painful with loud noises, from inflamed acoustic nerve) and inability to sleep more than a few hours in the bedroom where the Smart Meter was installed on the exterior wall, inches from my head as I slept. Over a course of 6 months, this developed into extreme reactions to wireless and electromagnetic fields, including nausea, severe cognitive problems such as brain fog and communication problems, weakness, fatigue, joint pain, and moderate to severe headaches, some of which felt like swelling of brain or head. My doctor wrote a letter to SDG&E, in San Diego, to have the Smart Meter removed under ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) as I am disabled. They denied the request and wrote back about how safe the Smart Meters were considered to be by the FCC and CPUC. I think it is tragic and a major threat to all Americans that these meters are being installed without regard for known, scientifically proven health effects of the high bursts of RF radiation. I sympathize with the parents in Marin County who rightly are very concerned. This is unprecedented in America and can only become a major issue and embarassment for the utility companies who are at fault in using wireless meters to establish the new Smart Grid, when shielded cable methods are available. Read the actual communications at http://www.thecanaryreport.org/2010/12/28/smart-meter-alert/ .
OMG, I’ve been having greatly increased problems with some of these medical issues, particularly ringing in my ears, cognitive problems, and depression, but also most of the rest of the symptoms you describe, minus the headaches. I wonder if there could be a connection.
I know that my neighbors across developed terrible problems with ants right after their meter installations, and now I have them as well.
And since when does a utility company have the power to have people arrested?
PG&E Ordered Sheriff officers to arrest two women.
Give me a break, since when can a public utility order an officer of the law to arrest anyone?
If this actually happened it is time for Marin county residents to remove corupt county officials.
By ordering their trucks to continue, rather than turn back as they have been doing, PG&E did effectively order the arrests of the two women. From the beginning, PG&E has been in close contact with law enforcement and likely this day was no different. It should come as no surprise to people that the police often function as corporate security anyway. A good example of this is during the climate protests in Kent UK in 2008. See http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/oct/26/kingsnorth-protests-climate-change-campaign
Can we have PG&E arrested for trespass?
I would be interested in joining in a class action lawsuit against the smart meters. These meters are not safe. PG&E lied about them to get approval from the FCC. The duty cycle is almost continuous, they contact the other meters in the neighborhood because they must monitor usage in an area at all times and the meter contacts the local cell tower! This is radiated energy that is used to communicate. This is why your power bill went up, it’s is powering the meter! Mine is up $50, so it is running quite a lot more than they claim. Beyond the health problems, which are pretty bad, it is also a security concern. This is Big Brother watching, it is collecting on when, what and where you are using energy, and has the potential to be sold to the highest bidder, and this sounds exactly like the very thing PG&E would do. It is against our constitutional right to have privacy in our homes! See this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLeCTaSG2-U (it’s one of many)
PG&E has a horrific record on public safety. they make many mistakes, ENRON, gas leaks, and poisoned drinking water, each time we pay for it. There are other utilities in California that have never harmed anyone, so I ask you why is PG&E allowed to continue to have a license? Because they have powerful lobbyists.
You can contact the CPUC and voice your concerns. The removal of smart meters should not be on OUR bill, since we never agreed to their installation in the first place! They can be contacted at:
public.advisor@cpuc.ca.gov
I’m sure this is one post they will remove. Honesty is not the corporate policy at PG$E.
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