At least someone in power is doing something!
This just in from yesterday- CA Assemblymember Jared Huffman has introduced a bill- AB 37- that would require the CPUC to offer an opt out for their customers. The bill would require that PG&E disclose details of the meters’ radiation and require a moratorium on further installations until the opt out program is in place. Coverage by the Marin IJ and the San Anselmo/ Fairfax Patch was available online as of Monday.
As we’ve said before, an individual opt out is not the solution. But providing consumers choice IS a small step in the right direction. Huffman’s bill deserves your support. You can contact his office to express your gratitude at (415) 479-4920 and ask that the bill be amended to include the ability for whole cities and counties to opt out. In addition, residents of apartment building need meaningful opt outs that would use shielded cabling for the entire apartment building if there is one unit that opts out. The legislation also has to be retroactive to provide for hard wiring of those people who are currently being forced to live with a wireless meter against their will. If you live outside his district, you can find your assemblymember’s contact info here.
The problem is that this bill will likely take 3-4 months to be signed into law, and PG&E and other other utilities can install a lot of meters in that time. Ten thousand per day times 120 days is more than one million more meters.
We have a word of advice for the utilities- the writing is on the wall. You’re going to have to hard wire your meters. You can do it the easy way voluntarily, or you can do it the hard way, wasting everyone’s time and money. In the meantime, while industry removes any teeth from his bill, perhaps Jared Huffman would care to join us in blocking Wellington trucks to protect his constituents.
You can read the legislation as introduced here, and enter “37” in the bill number field.
I am very proud of those protesting mothers for standing up for their rights and protecting their families. I am also a mother and live in Falmouth, Maine and we have a similar situation that started in October, 2010. Central Maine Power started installing smart meters without the consent, knowledge, prior warnings, and when no one was home. Forty people have filed complaints with the PUC to request an investigation regarding the health, privacy & property violations, fire safety issues of these r.f.r meters. Since the PUC had already approved the installation without even looking at the safety of these devices, we do not have much hope that the PUC will investigage further. Unfortunately, people in this state seem to be less aware of the risk involved with these meters and less willing to protest. I have filed a complaint with the PUC, case #2010400 (another is 2010345) and you can view the complaint and also file a comment (must reference the case #2010400) with the case by going to the PUC website at http://www.maine.gov/mpuc/online/index.shtml and
-click on “Virtual Case File”
-click on “Enter Virtual Case File”
-enter 2010345, 0R 2010400 OR 2010132 in the space provided for “Case ID”
-click “Search”
-go to the last page of the list, then Scroll down the left column until you see “Initial Filing”
-click on the file folder picture in the far left column of this line item and a new window will appear
-click on the pdf symbol under the top right heading “View” it will take a couple of seconds to come up with a copy of the Complaint
If you want to file a comment with one of these cases and have it shown here with the complaint you would have to send a certified letter to the address below and reference that case number on your letter.
Karen Geraghty, Administrative Director
Maine Public Utilities Commission
18 State House Station 18
Augusta, ME 04333
Re: Case Number 2010-400 or 2010-345 or 2010-132
It’s so hard to believe that these people think they can force these meters on us and expose our families to serious health, security and fire risk. I feel like I’m in a communist country!