Message for SDG&E: Allow Opt-Outs from Smart Meters, Remove all Wireless

Whereas San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has installed 98% of its territory without informing the public about serious potential health risks from its new "smart (utility) meters," 

Whereas the World Health Organization has recently identified radiofrequency radiation, which smart meters emit 24/7 into our homes, as a 2B carcinogen,

Whereas scientific studies and independent scientists have identified health and biological effects associated with exposure to rf radiation and smart meters, including the possible development of cancers, autism, neurological effects, and damage to the blood brain barrier,

Whereas the California Public Utilities Commission has had many thousands of health complaints about smart meters,

Whereas the California Public Utilities Commission has had thousands of inaccuracy, privacy, and security complaints about smart meters,

Whereas SDG&E has had thousands of complaints about smart meters, with refusals to allow installations by hundreds of customers, according to company documents,
 
Whereas 46 California municipalities, including entire counties such as Santa Barbara and Marin, have formed anti-smart meter resolutions and ordinances including criminalizing the installation of smart meters as a result of overwhelming public concern and damages to health,

Whereas the California Public Utilities Commission has ordered San Diego Gas & Electric to attend an Opt-Out Workshop on Sept. 14th, which it protested attending, with no known intention of offering opt-outs for smart meters to safe, analog meters, to date, for its customers, unlike some other major utilities attending,

Whereas UCAN (a local nonprofit) has filed an Application with the CPUC to force SDG&E to offer opt-outs (allowing customers a choice whether to have smart meters or be allowed to have safe analog meters) and SDG&E is currently formally Protesting this Application,

Whereas other major California utilities such as PG&E and SCE, have shown an interest in proposing smart meter opt-out plans to use with their customers,

Whereas utility customers throughout the nation have complained of higher bills after the installation of smart meters and this has also happened here,

Whereas in some parts of the nation, utility customers are involved in a class action lawsuit against their utility due to health effects, fires, and the malfunctioning of these meters, including overbilling of customers due to smart meters and this is entirely possible here,

Whereas SDG&E's customers did not want nor ask for radiation-emitting smart meters to be attached to their homes and businesses, placing their health at risk,

Whereas many of these smart meters are placed where the most vulnerable persons, such as children, pregnant women, women, elders, in addition to the general public, are in close proximity to the rf radiation-emitting devices, on bedrooms, nurseries, kitchens, living rooms, playyards, and other occupied spaces, which scientists and experts have repeatedly warned about,

Whereas SDG&E decided to put these smart meters on our homes and businesses without independent environmental, health, or safety testing,

As Director of Center for Electrosmog Prevention (CEP), a La Mesa, CA nonprofit, I ask our local governments and citizens to support me in demanding that SDG&E  immediately and voluntarily offer a no-cost opt-out choice to analog meters for all its customers, without adding radiation-emitting repeaters to their neighborhoods, with a smart meter free zone of at least 200 feet surrounding anyone who is concerned about medical or health effects.

As Director of Center for Electrosmog Prevention (CEP), a La Mesa, CA nonprofit, I ask our local governments and citizens to support me in demanding that SDG&E  remove all banks of multiple meters, such as those found on apartments and condos, from its territory, as these will exceed even the obsolete and non-protective FCC guidelines for rf radiation exposure.

As Director of Center for Electrosmog Prevention (CEP), a La Mesa, CA nonprofit, I ask our local governments and citizens to support me in demanding for SDG&E to provide full public disclosure for all elements of its smart grid project, including specific information about emissions for all types of smart meters it uses, especially which homes have the Collector Smart Meters that can emit up to 3+ times the radiation of the other meters on our homes now, which SDG&E has thus far refused to provide. 

This shall include the plans for future ramping up of the system that may lead to possible greatly increased radiation emissions (approx. 15X more) from smart meters (such as time of day rating and real time data being sent from these meters, which now transmit every 15 min. or less).

As Director of Center for Electrosmog Prevention (CEP), a La Mesa, CA nonprofit, I ask our local governments and citizens to support me in demanding that SDG&E to remove all wireless components from its smart grid project and replace these with safe fiberoptic, shielded cable, or phone line solutions, pending passage of CEQA and independent safety testing not-to-be-based on obsolete FCC guidelines.

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Call and write your local governments such as La Mesa City Council, SDG&E, the CPUC, and especially, its Administrative Law Judge, Amy C. Yip-Kikugawa, California Public Utilities Commission, who is in charge of the CPUC's Public Smart Meter Opt-Out Workshop and can order SDG&E to provide these opt-outs for its customers. (415) 703-5256 ayk@cpuc.ca.gov.

What: Public Workshop on Smart Meter Opt-Out Requests (A.11-03-014, A.11-03-015, A.11-07-020)

When: Sept. 14, 2011, 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Where: CPUC Auditorium, 505 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco;
Also available in real-time and archived via video webcast.

Details: CPUC workshop to discuss the options for customers of Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Southern California Edison, San Diego Gas and Electric Company, and Southern California Gas Company who wish to opt-out of the utility’s respective Smart Meter program.  

Learn more and view the CEP Opt-Out Proposal on file with the CPUC, at www.electrosmogprevention.org. View the CEP Opt-Out Proposal above on Media - Documents (pdf's).

View YouTube videos on smart meter issues above, on Media - Videos

For scientific and expert positions on smart meters, with reports on smart meter emissions, and research on rf radiation pertaining to health and biological effects visit www.smartmeterdangers.org

For over 600 smart meter concerns news articles, most of which are about California, and continuing updates about smart meter issues, follow http://twitter.com/#!/No2SmartMeters on Twitter.

For two other recent articles on Patch about smart meters, go to

and

Please be sure to view the videos on these articles also, as well as the documents and photos. Our future health depends on people informing themselves about this important topic, which most people in our county have little information about. Thank you for your interest in following this breaking news!