As the director of a nonprofit called Center for Electrosmog Prevention, I was contacted by a senior citizen who asked for help. Her utility is threatening to have her electric power shut off immediately, with the police sent out, because she removed a dangerous smart meter - that was making them sick - from their home, after all else failed.
She and her 89-year-old husband (a WWII vet who has cancer and has been crying over the impending electrical cutoff ) are quite upset. They were being made ill by their smart meter (rashes, short of breath, headaches, feeling terrible), and did not want to assume more cancer risk, so they took it off and put on a safe analog meter to save their lives.
PG&E has been bullying them, refuses to help relieve the health effects through removal, now is putting the husband's life at risk and threatening to shut down their power. The woman is a civic-minded, professional puppeteer who is a volunteer director of two popular children's shows on PBS.
She has abided by the law all her life, but is not willing to let people harm her or her husband. She is asking for help and the press! Note that Santa Barbara County has demanded opt-outs from the state CPUC and the utility is supposed to delay installations for anyone who wants it. This has not helped this senior couple.
Her emails, below, shared with permission:
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<<I am Susan Beckman, Lompoc, CA
Please send all the press you can ... I took my stand - this is still not YET a socialist state! The last time I checked it was still America.
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“Susan, help!!!!!!!!!!!! I wrote that my 89 year old husband has had cancer removed and the smart meter [was] installed a few feet from where he spends about 80% of his time in his den. After NUMEROUS nowhere calls "that nothing could be done" I bought a GE Analog Meter, clipped the [smart meter’s], lock and gently with no harm to it, removed it. A policeman from our town was called to ascertain no harm was done to it. A licensed electrician inspected and pronounced perfect working order. Sunday, a PG&E guy came and said it was fine but now they tell me I must again have them install an "interim" digital meter until the forced SM installs are law. Is this America??? I said no that would be furthering their cause. Please just let me pay extra and read my meter that if they had heeded my "NoSmart Meter" request this wouldn't be happening. “No”, he said !! I said, “I will sell you my meter for $1.00 and it will be PG&E's”, then “NO” he said, “I will come tomorrow with the police and cut your power.” “Ok”, I said. Susan can you send every press reporter to xxxx (address) tomorrow?>>
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<<Hi Susan,
We have an impeccable perfect rating and have never been late with a bill. We had a 130 year old apartment building in Santa Barbara for many years plus several other homes and a TriPlex in Santa Barbara we NEVER missed a bill.
We have lived here in Lompoc, Ca in an unincorporated area called Mesa Oaks, for a year as of last January, but we are in Santa Barbara County which voted down the Smart Meters.
I sent registered letters of the action that I was forced to take to the Pres/Vice/Consumer Affairs/Local Office San Luis. Our lawyer, formerly of San Diego and whose father was a prominant lawyer, felt our actions were sufficient. Apparently not. The last caller hung up on me when I would not agree to another "interim" digital meter to be installed and again allow them access to our property…
Please know my time now is limited on line because of the disconnect tomorrow that Dennis W. [of PG&E] threatened us with complete with the cops.(what drama).
My husband is a wreck. I have asked PG&E to please not kill him over this nonsense he is sick and extremely stressed. He is a veteran of WWII. Three Christmases for this country on New Caladonia in the Airforce monitoring radio signals.
What is happening to our country? Send all [the] press you can, this is a travesty. I was in the middle of taping my one hour [PBS]children's TV show.
An "interim" unnecessary additional meter would only bolster PG&E's argument for wireless as the digital must be "read" with some other contraption thus making a case for extra manpower. I had read for three years in Santa Barbara our meter. Other times I cut a hole in the fence. Dennis wanted his company once more to have access to my now "Posted No Trespassing No Smart meters" padlocked gate, dogs on duty yard.
This will be a sad day for America to cut off the power of perfect customers.>>
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Woman restores analog meter to protect husband
Posted on September 8, 2011 by Sandi Maurer, EMF Safety Network
republished, with permission
Susan Beckman, a children’s TV show producer who lives near Lompoc in Santa Barbara County, has removed a Smart Meter from her home and replaced it with an analog meter to protect her husband. In response to this act Susan stated a PG&E representative has threatened to “bring the police and turn off her power.”
Misled by PG&E into thinking she could refuse the new meter when the installers arrived, a Smart Meter was installed without her knowledge. She started to hear a buzz and a loud hum in the house and noticed feeling extremely fatigued with aching joints, a rash and feeling flu-like. After some investigation she discovered the new meter on her house. She was also very concerned about her husband. She writes, “My 89 year old husband has had cancer removed and the smart meter installed a few feet from where he spends about 80% of his time in his den.”
Susan then called PG&E and spoke to several representatives with whom she said made “demeaning comments” and they refused to remove the meter. Finally, she talked with one who was actually sympathetic who told her she could buy an analog meter and replace it, which she did, with her own hands, with guidance from an electrician. She said she, “wore gloves, turned the main power off, clipped the lock, took the collar off and used a lot pressure to pull it off.” The electrician checked it out and verified it was done correctly.
She then sent registered letters, reviewed by her attorney to PG&E. In an email to the California Public utilities Commission Susan writes that PG&E Smart Meter agent “Dennis W., before losing his patience and hanging up on me, said tomorrow he will bring the police and turn off our electricity.”
To be continued…
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Mrs. Beckman notes that with the removal of the analog meter, their unusual health symptoms have cleared up and she does not regret removing the offending smart meter, even if it means they have to live in the dark. She said she is on a special diet and all the food in her freezers will go bad. She still feels that this is the right thing as they simply could not tolerate being made ill.
Their complaints are not unusual. The utilities in CA are denying help to people of all ages who are experiencing torturous symptoms from their smart meters and/or who do not wish to assume cancer or other risk of future health problems. Is this any way for the utiities of our state, our state agency (CPUC) or the United States of America to reward its heroic WWII veterans? Is this any way to treat senior citizens who have contributed to their nation all their lives in a positive manner? Should anyone be treated in this manner?
What do you think? What would you do?
VERY IMPORTANT CEP Note: Only certified electricians should handle electrical equipment.
WE DO NOT RECOMMEND SELF-REMOVAL OF SMART METERS NOR ANALOG METER INSTALLATIONS BY LAY PERSONS.
See letters above, in Media, from scientists and physicians confirming a variety of health symptoms associated with rf radiation exposure, including California Dept of Health. View Dr. David Carpenter (Harvard Medical School-trained Public Health and Wireless Expert, NYSU) explain why smart meters are a public health menace.
What independent (not paid by utility interests) scientists and experts are saying:
1. “...the inauguration of smart meters with grudging and involuntary exposure of millions to billions of human beings to pulsed microwave radiation should immediately be prohibited... It should be noted that we are not the only species at jeopardy, practically all animals and plants may be at stake…abundant evidence [exists] that biological effects and adverse health effects are occurring at [EMR] exposure levels hundreds to thousands of times below existing public safety standards around the world.” (Johansson, PhD, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute (Sweden) [1]
2. “Many smart meters are close to beds, kitchens, playrooms, and similar locations. These wireless systems are never off, and the exposure is not voluntary. The smart meters are being forced on citizens everywhere. Based on this, the inauguration of smart meters with grudging and involuntary exposure of millions to billions of human beings to pulsed microwave radiation should immediately be prohibited until ’the red flag’ can be hauled down once and for all…The recent determination of the World Health Organization (WHO) to include radiofrequent radiation on the 2B list of carcinogens also applies to devices such as smart meters. (Johansson, PhD, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute (Sweden), Letter to the CPUC, July 9, 2011, Appendix 1)[2].
3. “[Smart Meters] use is unwise from … a public health point of view, which is where my expertise lies...” (David O. Carpenter, MD, Director of the Institute for Health & the Environment, Albany, NY) [3]
4. “Smart meters, which operate 24/7 and radiate modulated microwaves intermittently, can therefore be expected to be particularly harmful to DNA....There is already evidence that heavy cell phone users are more prone to brain cancers...The regular transmissions from wireless smart meters can be expected to have much the same effect, with younger people being more at risk. The greatest damage from microwaves is when the brain is first developing in the [fetus] and the very young child, when it can lead to autism....There are ways in which the modulation of the signal can be changed to avoid this, but in the meantime, the compulsory introduction of smart meters can only contribute further to autism on a grand scale. This will be a further burden on the economy and increase the National deficit. This will far outweigh any possible advantages from the use of these meters…There is also a risk of legal complications for the utility companies. If it can be shown that that the consumer has taken reasonable precautions to minimize their microwave exposure by eliminating WiFi, cordless phones and wireless baby monitors from their house, the utility company could be held legally responsible for any autistic children that they may have…In the UK, the lifetime cost of caring for an autistic child is in the region of one million pounds. It would be reasonable to claim compensation for this amount. In the United States, it may also be possible to claim punitive damages if it can be shown that the utility company knew of this risk when they installed or refused to remove a smart meter when requested.”[4] (Goldsworthy, Andrew, PhD, biologist, Science Advisor to European Space Agency on the biological effects of non-ionizing and ionizing radiation)
[1] Commentary on CCST report by Olle Johansson, Jan. 17, 2011 http://sagereports.com/smart-meterrf/?p=308
[2] Johansson, PhD, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute (Sweden) Letter to the CPUC, July 9, 2011 (Attachment 1)
[3] http://www.scribd.com/doc/46947223/Dr-Carpenter-s-Comments-on-CCST-Smart-Meter-Report
[4] HOW SMART METERS MAY CAUSE AUTISM AND CANCER, Goldsworthy, Andrew, PhD (July, 2011)
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Susan Brinchman, Center for Electrosmog Prevention
info@electrosmogprevention.org
