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Scare stories threaten Maine smart meter rollout

Nov 30, 2010

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We reported recently that Central Maine Power (CMP had asked the state's Public Utilities Commission to dismiss complaints related to potential smart meter health, fire and security hazards. But after a town meeting in which complaining residents and CMP met to talk it out Monday night, it looks like the utility has a fight on its hands. According to The Forecaster newspaper, the five-hour public forum barely finished hashing through the topic of health hazards at midnight — the fire and security issues had to be delayed. Small wonder. The forum, held in the small town of Scarborough (population: about 17,000, attracted meter opponents from more than 15 communities and two states other than Maine. The complaints ranged from big business forcing residents into accepting products they don't want to intense skepticism that smart meter-related health issues haven't been adequately researched. Hudson, New York, resident Michele Hertz was quoted in the newspaper as saying the meters affected her concentration, made her agitated and caused headaches. "I'm not being paid to be here. I'm not a scientist. But I'm living proof — smart meters installed on my house made me sick. I really do not believe the electric companies are trying to hurt people, but they're making a terrible mistake." Local doctors chimed in, agreeing that health concerns were far from resolved. Scientists hired by CMP went through technical explanations of the safety of the meters and compared the frequencies emitted by smart meters to those emitted by cellular and cordless phones. The Maine Center for Disease Control has acknowledged a lack of long-term studies on the issue, but said existing research showed no "consistent or convincing evidence" to support concerns for health problems related to the range and power of radio frequencies used in the meters. The PUC has not yet decided if it will dismiss the complaints or investigate them. CMP received a $96 million ARRA stimulus grant to support its smart grid project. About 56,000 smart meters have already been installed.

Jesse Berst's Take: You have to appreciate the irony of someone who probably owns a roam phone, a cell phone, a microwave and a WiFi network testifying that smart meters made her agitated and caused her headaches, especially when you remember that smart meters broadcast perhaps 1% of the time.

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Wireless Smart Meters

BACKGROUND:

The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on November 18 hosted about a dozen top scientists from around the world regarding non-ionizing radiation, the type of radiation emitted by common wireless devices such as cell phones, baby monitors, smart meters, cordless phones, wifi, etc.

The scientists reported on their own testing and experiments and some reported on the tests and studies of some of their colleagues.

RESULTS:

1.Cell Damage resulted / was observed from exposure to non-ionizing radiation. These same cell damage results occurred again with repetitions of the test and results were confirmed by others performing similar tests at other locations.

2. Epidemiology studies had significant correlations between non-ionizing radiation exposure and cancers, as well as other lesser maladies.

CONCLUSIONS:

1. The epidemiology studies alone would not demonstrate proof or causation because there could be other factors that are associated with both variables that are responsible for the association.

2. The Cell Damage occurring from exposure to non-ionizing radiation is significant.

Cell damage is confirmed, even though others in significant numbers did not find it and even greater numbers did not expect such findings.

3. The combination of epidemiology studies together with Cell Damage resulting from non-ionizing radiation is strong evidence that non-ionizing radiation exposure creates a public health problem with substantial threats of cancers and other maladies to the population.

COMMENTS:

1. The reputations and integrities of the individual scientists are superb. The scientists are mostly research scientists and not funded by any group, association or industry that would gain from the results of their research.

2. The reporting of their findings has been peer reviewed and accepted at the highest level of science.

REGARDING WIRELESS SMART METERS:

These devices are unique wireless devices in that:

1. They operate continuously 24/7.

2. They have no shut off switch.

3. They are not being offered to buyers but rather forced onto buyer's homes.

4. People that may have immediate sensitivities to their particular pulsed radiation or locations on their homes have no remedy to escape exposure.

Glen Chase - 11/30/2010 - 23:19

Regarding the First Comment ...

This is the modern world and we use electronics extensively. To avoid exposure to electro magnetic radiation and radio waves of all kinds, recommend living deep in caves till it's over.

Andy Bochman - 12/08/2010 - 19:02

Follow up to Jesse Berst's Take

You make the incorrect assumption that electromagnetically sensitive people have WiFi, cordless phones and cell phones. They spend their lives trying to avoid these things and since they can't live in caves the best they can do is try to avoid exposure, which is definitely difficult in today's world. At least they can choose whether or not to have these things in their homes, but with smart meters there is no choice offered.

Laura Hannan - 12/09/2010 - 07:39

You are right about choice

I agree with the desire for choice... as long as the choice goes both ways. Some people's attitude is: I don't want it, therefore no one should get it. As long as we have the option to opt-in as well as the option to opt-out, then I'm on board with choice.

Jesse Berst - 12/09/2010 - 09:02

Maine Smart Meteer Rollout

There are four main reasons to NOT have wireless smart meters installed. Health concerns address only one of these issues.

Security of customers' data is of equal concern. The MESH (Neighborhood Area Networks) topology that CMP will use is NOT secure. It can be hacked despite CMP's claims to the contrary. One of the devlopers of Advanced Encryption System (Rijndael) has publicly documented one method of doing just so.

This is a matter of national security not just a matter of choice and private property rights.

CMP's John Carroll has publicly lied, in forums about this issue that CMP chose wireless Smart Meter technology because no provider of "wired" Smart Meters submitted proposals. The truth is that CMP NEVER requested proposals based on wired technology - but only wireless Smart Meters. The same manufacturer of single phase wired (PLC technology) Smart Meters deployed in Europe by CMP's parent company, Spain's Iberdrola, is Landis+Gyr. Landis+Gyr provides the wireless meters for CMP. The contention that no proposals were ever submitted for "wired" Smart Meters is true but only because CMP never requested them! A bald-faced lie, then, by CMP's PR staff.

Gary Conover - 12/30/2010 - 11:31

EM radiation and wireless security

@Glen Chase: Given the sea of electromagnetic (i.e. non-ionizing) radiation we swim in at the moment and which has been in existence for many years, do you not think real evidence would have been found by now if it were a health risk and caused the sort of ailments referred to? The first point in your conclusion is enough to toss out these scare stories. In comparison to cell phones, wireless routers etc., smart meters operate for a small proportion of the time. Combine these factors and the health risk proposed by smart meters is non-existent. Also I have yet to see any proof that symptoms in people who claim to be electromagnetically sensitive can be directly attributed solely to electromagnetic radiation. Don't get me wrong - I am not dismissing it outright but the lack of real evidence so far speaks for itself.

@Gary Conover: Before you make claims that the mesh (it is not an acronym) network is not secure, you need to provide the evidence, which you do not. If it is publicly available as you say, I should have found it through the usual search engines and I could not. Regarding powerline communications; some people think that because they are not wireless, they don't emit any EM radiation. Wrong. If anything they emit more because the whole length of the (usually unshielded) cable acts as a pretty good antenna. But again, I don't see this as a health risk - it may cause some issues for interference in certain environments

Robert Cragie - 01/07/2011 - 06:05

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