DTE and Consumers to Propose ‘Smart Meter’ Opt-Out

from: michiganstopsmartmeters.com

February 18, 2012 – In an interview which appeared today in MiTechNews.com, DTE spokesperson Len Singer said the utility will propose, in a filing with the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) next month, an opt-out provision for customers.  He indicated that his company recognizes this is an “extremely emotional issue” for some, but that the company still believes the meters are safe and has no plan to halt or slow down ongoing installations.

A spokesman for Consumers also stated that his company will propose an opt-out in a filing due next month under the terms of the MPSC Order that opened the current investigation.  This company plans to start installations of the new meters this summer.

No details are available as yet regarding either company’s opt-out proposals – such as what the alternative to the smart meter would be, who would be eligible or what fees, if any, might be charged for not accepting the smart meter.

There is much that remains to be accomplished.  We still think the MPSC needs to conduct a thorough and unbiased investigation of the possible health effects of these new meters and the ‘mesh networks’ required to operate them.  We also think the Commission needs to declare a moratorium on any further smart meter installations until such a health study has been completed.

We believe it is as important as ever that the legislature enact some smart meter protections for the public.  There are fundamental social and moral issues – including health, privacy and property rights.  These are not just details that should be worked out by a regulatory commission that seems more comfortable when dealing only with rate issues.

Still we think that today’s announcement  represents a major breakthrough.  We are cautiously optimistic.

Click here to read the source article.

Smart Meter Opt-Out Legislation Introduced

from: michiganstopsmartmeters.com

Representative Tom McMillin (R) of Rochester introduced today, along with 8 co-sponsors, proposed smart meter opt-out legislation in the Michigan House of Representatives.  The bill, known as H.B. 5411, contains a whole series of prohibitions against the electric utility companies of the state with regard to what are termed “advanced meters” and directs the Michigan Public Services Commission (MPSC) to enforce these prohibitions. Click here to continue reading this post.

CITIZENS NEEDED TO HELP PETITION GRAND RAPIDS CITY COUNCIL TO RENOUNCE SMART METERS!!

If you are interested in being an advocate for a safer Grand Rapids, please email me at stopsmartmetersgr@gmail.com.  I am looking for people to help me bring the smart meter issue to the Grand Rapids City Council.  Our fellow activists on the east side of the state have had great success in introducing moratoriums on smart meter deployments by their utilities.  If you resent the heavy handed tactics of Consumers Energy and DTE, stand up and let your voice be heard.  I promise you, there is no better feeling than speaking truth to power!!

In UK, Smart meters for energy to be voluntary

Plans to force households to have energy smart meters installed have been   shelved over health and privacy fears.

Smart meters communicate remotely from households to energy companies Photo: REX

By Rowena Mason, Political Correspondent

6:30AM GMT 01 Feb 2012

 The Government had promised that every household would have a smart meter by   2019 in a £12 billion programme to stop gas and electricity bills being   estimated.

Officials are devising plans to allow people to reject the smart meters, which   communicate remotely from households to energy companies.

The move is a victory for campaign groups and backbench MPs, who raised   concerns with ministers that the devices emit electromagnetic radiation 24   hours a day and cannot be turned off.

Privacy campaigners were worried that half-hourly data on energy usage   collected by smart meters could give clues about people’s way of life, such   as when someone is on holiday, at work or asleep. Sources in the Department   for Energy and Climate Change said the proposal was shelved to avoid the   programme getting “bogged down” in lengthy legal disputes.

There has been a public outcry recently about the potential health effects of   smart meters in the US and Canada.

About 400,000 have been installed in British homes. Most of the devices emit   similar radiation to mobile phones, microwaves and wireless internet.

Campaigners are worried about the build-up of such devices in the home.

Some people claim to be sensitive to electromagnetic fields, saying it gives   them symptoms such as nausea, fatigue and headaches.

In America, utility companies have been hit with multi-million dollar class action lawsuits from people who have had the devices installed in their   homes.

Regulators say smart meters are safe. But protesters point to the American   Academy of Environmental Medicine’s opposition to the devices.

Bill Esterson, MP for Sefton Central, is now urging the Government to say   whether smart meters will come with health warnings.

Charles Hendry, the energy minister, said: “We believe people will benefit   from having smart meters. But we will not make them obligatory.”

INTERNATIONAL PHYSICIANS’ GROUP CALLS FOR HALT TO WIRELESS SMART METERS

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Google GmailYahoo MailHotmailAOL MailAny email    

CONSUMERS ENERGY COULD CARE LESS!  THEY ARE GOING TO PUT ONE ON YOUR HOUSE WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!

http://eastcountymagazine.org/node/8502

Organization tells CPUC that smart meters pose health risks, especially for children

January 24, 2012 (San Diego)–The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) has become the first national physicians’ group to adopt a resolution calling for a halt to wireless smart meters.

The group sent a  resolutionto the California Public Utilities Commission opposing smart meters due to health risks and calling on the CPUC to take preventative actions to protect the public health.The letter notes that medical literature has raised “credible questions about genetic and cellular effects, hormonal effects, male fertility, blood/brain barrier damage and increased risk of certain types of cancers” from radio frequency levels emitted by smart meters.  “Children are placed at particular risk for altered brain development, and impaired learning and behavior.  Further EMF/RF adds synergistic effects to the damage observed from a range of toxic chemicals,” the international doctors’ organization concluded.

Smart meters have been installed by SDG&E and other utility companies on residences throughout California and thus far, SDG&E has refused to allow residents to have the devices removed.

Below is the full text of the AAEM’s resolution.

January 19, 2012

Proposed Decision of Commissioner Peevey (Mailed 1/22/2012)

BEFORE THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

On the proposed decision 11-03-014

Dear Commissioners:

The Board of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine opposes the installation of wireless “smart meters” in homes and schools based on a scientific assessment of the current medical literature (references available on request).  Chronic exposure to wireless radiofrequency radiation is a preventable environmental hazard that is sufficiently well documented to warrant immediate preventative public health action.

As representatives of physician specialists in the field of environmental medicine, we have an obligation to urge precaution when sufficient scientific and medical evidence suggests health risks which can potentially affect large populations.  The literature raises serious concern regarding the levels of radio frequency (RF – 3 KHz – 300 GHz) or extremely low frequency (ELF – o- 300 Hz) exposures produced by “smart meters” to warrant an immediate and complete moratorium on their use and deployment until further study can be performed.  The board of the American Board of Environmental Medicine wishes to point out that existing FCC guidelines for RF safety that have been used to justify installation of “smart meters” only look at thermal tissue damage and are obsolete, since many modern studies show metabolic and genomic damage from RF and ELF exposures below the level of intensity which heats tissues.  The FCC guidelines are therefore inadequate for use in establishing public health standards.  More modern literature shows medically and biologically significant effects of RF and ELF at lower energy densities.  These effects accumulate over time, which is an important consideration given the chronic nature of exposure from “smart meters”. The current medical literature raises credible questions about genetic and cellular effects, hormonal effects, male fertility, blood/brain barrier damage and increased risk of certain types of cancers from RF or ELF levels similar to those emitted from “smart meters”.  Children are placed at particular risk for altered brain development, and impaired learning and behavior.  Further EMF/RF adds synergistic effects to the damage observed from a range of toxic chemicals.  Given the widespread, chronic and essentially inescapable ELF/RF exposure of everyone living near a “smart meter”,  the Board of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine finds it unacceptable from a public health standpoint to implement this technology until these serious medical concerns are resolved.  We consider a moratorium on installation of wireless “smart meters” to be an issue of the highest importance.

The Board of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine also wishes to note that the US NIEHS National Toxicology Program in 1999 cited radiofrequency radiation as a potential carcinogen.  Existing safety limits for pulsed RF were termed “not protective of public health” by the Radiofrequency Interagency Working Group (a federal interagency working group including the FDA, FCC, OSHA, the EPA and others).  Emissions given off by “smart meters” have been classified by the World Health Organization International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a Possible Human Carcinogen.

Hence, we call for:

•  An immediate moratorium on “smart meter” installation until these serious public health issues are resolved.  Continuing with their installation would be extremely irresponsible.

•  Modify the revised proposed decision to include hearings on health impact in the second proceedings, along with cost evaluation and community wide opt-out.

•  Provide immediate relief to those requesting it and restore the analog meters.

Members of the Board

American Academy of Environmental Medicine

The American Academy of Environmental Medicine, founded in 1965, is an international association of physicians and other professionals which “provides research and education in the recognition, treatment and prevention of illnesses induced by exposures to biological and chemical agents encountered in air, food and water.”

Sterling Heights Moratorium on Smart Meters

from: michiganstopsmartmeters.com

January 3, 2012 – The City Council of Sterling Heights by a vote of 7-0, approved the first actual moratorium on installation of ‘smart’ meters in the State ofMichigan.  The moratorium is to remain in place until such time as DTE communicates to Council that they have an opt-out program for those residents who are not willing to accept the meters.

This moratorium was enacted at the end of a meeting in which two DTE utility representatives had made a presentation arguing for the benefits of the meters and asserting that they posed no health risk and that the utility would be taking every precaution to protect customer’s privacy.  The DTE reps also said, however, that the company had no plan to allow anyone to opt out.

Several members of Council indicated that DTE’s plan for no opt-outs was “not acceptable”.

At least one member of Council had advocated a complete and permanent ban on smart meters by any gas or electric utility within Sterling Heights.  The intent was to protect not only the individual right to opt-out but also to protect the community as a whole from an undesirable technology.  There was not sufficient support for this strong resolution, and a weaker one was finally adopted which addressed only the question of an individual’s right to opt out.

The effectiveness of this moratorium may not be tested for some time as DTE apparently has no plan to install inSterling Heightsfor a few years yet.  However it does put the utility on notice that they may need to ultimately satisfy the Council before they can begin their deployment there.

Michigan Needs to Take a Stand Against Smart Meters NOW!

January 18, 2012

W4AR Smart Meter page; http://www.w4ar.com/Smart-Meters.html

American Patriots, We in Michigan have the opportunity to make a difference across the country by being the first state to officially stop the Smart Meter invasion into our homes and destroying our 4th Amendment and forever weaken our Constitution! If We ACT NOW!

We now have (9) Resolutions and Moratoriums with the addition of Grosse Pointe Shores as of yesterday and more to come!

With the impact of our cities and townships standing up for the “We the People” by passing Resolutions and Moratoriums in the face of Detroit Energy, DTE, see the –

DTE at Sterling Heights – Video of Moratorium

http://shtv.pegcentral.com/player.php?video=160f8e135ef424b02c31048690ee191f

The MPSC is officially investigating all of the issues with Smart Meters here in Michigan!!!!!

We have approximately 2 months to register all of our complaints , document the cost, safety, health, privacy and liability issues with them! Go to the web page above and find the MPSC button at the top of the page!

Every letter,study,appeal, lawsuit, video or type of action from residents or doctors, scientist,engineers, representatives must be forwarded to the MPSC at the address, with the case number, listed on our website (MPSC button) and on the attachment i am providing. See ATTACHMENT!!

This is the time to put a Stop to the Agenda21 Smart Meter program!

Every voice, YOUR Voice, can and WILL make a difference, especially in the next few months.

 

John and Pauline Holeton W4AR

LOCAL EVENT!! 11-17-11

Halt SmartMeter Roll-Out, NOW
Organizational Meeting

11-17-11
Thursday 7pm – 8:30pm

Grand Haven Community Center
421 Columbus Avenue
Grand Haven, MI  49417
Downstairs, Escanaba Room

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

Volunteers for Immediate Research:
a.  Insurance coverage for physical damage to home & health claims related to occupants
b.  Regulation of SmartMeters  FCC & MPSC  (cell towers/electrical)… this is an issue.
c.  MPSC Electrical Rate Plans… Where are these costs originating from… under renewables or distribution or securitization catagories?  We are paying directly.  Not indirectly thru stimulus $.

 – Volunteers for Researching Underlying Issues

 -Volunteers for Helping Bring New Products & Jobs Related to Addressing Underlying Issues

CMS Energy is Parent Company to Consumers Energy

Click here to view CMS/Consumers Energy Corporate Officers

List of SmartGrid Symposium Shills

From May 18-20, 2011, smart meter advocates met in Dearborn, Michigan.  Companies like GE, Honeywell, AT&T, Comcast, US Navy and Verizon all sent representatives.  I don’t know about you, but I trust that these corporations have the health and privacy of my family at the top of their priority list!  This is a link to the names and email addresses of the attendees for the SmartGrid Symposium.  Let them know how much you appreciate their benevolent intentions!  Read The List