CPUC: “You can go back to the analog meter.”

Posted on September 22, 2011 by Josh Hart

In a remarkable about-face this morning at a public meeting, the president of the CPUC, Michael Peevey, told a man made ill by his “smart” meter, “[PG&E] will provide that you can go back to the analog meter, if that’s your choice.”

Here it is, live in color, clearly stated: you can have your analog back. Armed with this knowledge, we urge people all over California to call their utility now to ask for their analog meters back, too.

Can it be possible that this man and this commission will make it right with the thousands of people who have been literally begging to have their analog meters back? Many questions are still unanswered: How much will this man made ill by a “smart” meter, or any of us, have to pay in order to protect our health? What about communities whose representatives have voted against having these meters and the mesh network that goes with them?

Michael Peevey to Chandu Vyas, a member of the public : “I would urge you to continue to talk to PG&E, and they will provide that you can go back to the analog meter, if that’s your choice. Did you understand what I just said? Sir? Okay. Mr. [Sidney Bob] Dietz is one of their representatives, but he isn’t the only one.”

Want your analog back? Contact PG&E representatives Sidney Bob Dietz,  415-973-5921 or Thomas Bottorff,  415-973-3889.

The whole meeting on video:
http://www.californiaadmin.com/cpuc.shtml

 

Posted in CPUC, PG&E, San Diego County, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz County | 33 Comments

Portrait of a Forced Deployment

Posted on September 21, 2011 by Josh Hart

Our utility PG&E has recently sent their contractors- Wellington Energy- into our neighborhood in Scotts Valley to install their ‘smart’ meters. This is in spite of County laws banning the devices, a demand from our city council to halt installations, and a declared “smart meter free zone” in our neighborhood. Even some people who were on the “delay line” came home to find a ‘smart’ meter installed.

People are angry. We’re angry. Every time we go for a walk in our neighborhood now we get a headache. It’s just not okay. The other day we were walking down the street when we saw a Wellington truck. We demanded he stop installing and when he refused we stood in front of his truck, prompting him to call the police who responded about 20 minutes later. The police told us we would be subject to arrest if we blocked the truck again.

While we were standing there talking with the officer, a neighbor came up and said he supported what we were doing and had told Wellington to get off his property. He pulled up his shorts and showed us a tumor on his leg where he had kept his cell phone in his pocket for many years and one on his ear on the side where he spoke on the phone. The police officer was visibly shaken, and I said, “Look we’re not making this up. People are getting cancer from wireless and these ‘smart’ meters expose people to 100x the radiation of a cell phone.” We returned several days later and interviewed the neighbor with the tumors- to maintain his privacy he didn’t want his face shown. We also interviewed others from the area upset about PG&E’s heavy handed tactics. We are living through a brutal period in our history where human and environmental health are sacrificed for utility profits. It’s time for a change.

Posted in Cancer, Cell phones, Citizen rebellion, Democracy, Electro-Hyper-Sensitivity, Installer Threats and Assaults, PG&E, Police, Santa Cruz County | 4 Comments

Recall of Santa Cruz County Sheriff Wowak Launched Tonight

Posted on September 21, 2011 by Josh Hart

Tonight marks the official launch of a community effort to recall Sheriff Phil Wowak from office, for failing to enforce County ordinance 5084 and protect the public from greedy corporations like PG&E and corrupt regulatory agencies like the CPUC.  The video above is of a rally that took place on August 5th.  Tonight at the Freedom Forum in Santa Cruz will be the official launch of the petition drive.  7pm 1900 17th Ave. in Santa Cruz.

Posted in Citizen rebellion, CPUC, Democracy, PG&E, Police, Privacy, Santa Cruz County, World Health Organization | Leave a comment

Fairfax Emergency “Smart” Meter Forum Video

Posted on September 20, 2011 by Josh Hart

From EON: This public forum on the compulsory installation by northern California utility, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) of environmentally toxic, privacy-violating, unsafe and hackable wireless so-called ‘smart’ meters was held in Fairfax, California Sept. 9, 2011.

The tiny town of Fairfax is on the frontline of local democratic opposition to the misconceived and dangerous corporate ‘smart’ grid plan which former CIA Director James Woolsey terms ‘really stupid.’

Posted in Citizen rebellion, Democracy, Marin County, PG&E | 2 Comments

“Smart” Meters Violate FCC Regulations. Period.

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Josh Hart

PG&E demonstrates the correct procedure for violating FCC regulations on their website

 

Pacific Gas and Electric claimed last week in a workshop held at the CA Public Utilities Commission- the video of which is now online thanks to EON– that their ‘smart’ meter program is in full compliance with all FCC regulations.  However even a kindergartener could see that this is clearly not the case.  If you look at the FCC authorization for the OWS-NIC507 (pdf) Silver Spring Networks smart meter transmitter that is being deployed throughout PG&E’s service territory (and likely, beyond) you will see three very clear violations of FCC regulations.   Leave it to PG&E to violate three regulations in just one FCC document.  Let’s take a look at each violation individually:

PG&E and other utilities are contracting with companies like Wellington and Corix to install their ‘smart’ meters.   These companies hire temp workers with little to no electrical or professional expertise, according to previous employees who blew the whistle on dangerous practices.  Faulty installations are suspected in several cases where ‘smart’ meters caused fires and explosions.  These are NOT professional installations.  Strike One.

The FCC requires that all persons be kept at least 20cm from the smart meter.  Silver Spring Networks says it is up to the utility to ensure compliance.  PG&E claims they comply with all FCC regulations.  Yet they fail to erect any safety enclosure, post any notices whatsoever warning people to keep their distance.  What’s worse, they actually post photos on their website of people touching the meters, recklessly instructing people to violate FCC safety standards.  In this context, the “smart” meter may change Bob’s life in ways he may not be expecting.  The utilities claim that people are going to be far from the meter- but what about kids playing around the side of homes or apartment buildings?  We imagine all of this is not going to look terribly impressive to a jury calculating the amount of future health damages.  Funny that cell phone manuals warn people to keep about 1-2cm away while the ‘smart’ meter requires 20cm distance.   That must mean that the smart meter radiation is that much stronger than a cell phone.   But that would mean that the utilities are lying….. Strike Two.

More than 100 electric meters are clustered on this apartment building, in clear violation of FCC’s requirement that meters not be “co-located”

“Smart” Meters are being co-located wherever there are multiple units- in apartment buildings, condos, etc.  Co-locations result in more frequent and more powerful RF exposures, which is probably why the FCC required that the antennae not be clustered together.  Strike 3- you are OUT PG&E.  

The question is, why is no one enforcing these regulations?  Why are state and federal regulatory agencies covering for the utilities while the health and safety of millions of people is put at risk?

Posted in Cell phones, Citizen rebellion, CPUC, Democracy, FCC, PG&E, Safety | 29 Comments