1 – UL (Underwriters’ Laboratory) is developing safety standards for $$meters in Canada that can be adopted. What about the $$meters that are on our homes that have not been tested to ensure safety?? I have advised Bennett and Clark in a letter below. Please feel free to share or to send to media.
http://ul.com/newsroom/pressreleases/ul-begins-work-on-utility-meter-standard-for-canada/
2 – Below is a response to a letter from the Director of Health Canada’s division that is responsible for public exposure limits to RF/microwave radiation.
He doesn’t acknowledge that Safety Code 6 is intended only for those working at or visiting federally regulated sites, e.g. cell or radio transmitters/towers.
Safety Code 6 code was never intended to apply to homes and schools, and is protective only for thermal radiation, not non-thermal e.g. microwave/RF radiation.
This is what Dr. Perry Kendall, our provincial health officer uses to hide behind to justify his lack of action, his failure to implement the precautionary principle.
3 – An advertisement that tells us a lot about what the utility companies are planning: e.g. invasion of privacy.
“Traditionally, utilities have had very little visibility into what is going on at the home as their data often stopped at the meter. With the introduction of new technologies such as smart meters utilities now have the ability to get more information on when and how homeowners are using energy, which allows them to create customized energy-saving offers.”
http://www.smartgridnews.com/artman/publish/End_Use_Smart_Homes/How-the-evolving-utility-customer-relationship-is-changing-home-energy-management-6885.html#.VHXxZ7l0zbi
4 – Below in letters is an email from John Horgan with a petition arguing against Christy Clark’s attempt to stifle the voice of public groups such as ours.,
They do not want any debate or disagreement with their policies or desire to run over our civil rights. Please consider signing and sharing with friends and family. Such a law would hamper our efforts to confront laws that the one mandating irradiating $$meters.
5 – The US Navy has plans that seem likely to affect BC—the lower mainland and islands. Why haven’t we heard anything from any of the governments, local, provincial or federal? This is intrusion into another country—endangering our health and the health of our wildlife. Please send this to your MPs and MLAs – and demand that they get involved before it’s too late.
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/27339
6 – Report expected from UL re. Sensus meters in Medicine Hat where there were many failures/incidents.
Smart meter safety report expected next week by Gillian Slade – Medicine Hat News – November 25, 2014:
– http://medicinehatnews.com/news/local-news/2014/11/25/smart-meter-safety-report-expected-next-week/
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LETTERS
From: Dennis and Sharon Noble [mailto:dsnoble@shaw.ca]
Sent: November 26, 2014 8:25 AM
To: Bill Bennett (mem.minister@gov.bc.ca); Christy Clark (premier@gov.bc.ca)
Cc: ‘adrian.dix.mla@leg.bc.ca‘; John Horgan. Leader NDP; ‘Karagianis.MLA, Maurine’; ‘Shin.MLA, Jane Jae Kyung’; ‘gary.holman.mla@leg.bc.ca‘
Subject: UL developing safety standards,
Mr. Bennett and Ms. Clark,
UL (Underwriters’ Laboratory) is announcing that it is developing safety standards for “smart” meters in Canada, a void in the current system which has led to our having fire hazards on our homes. http://ul.com/newsroom/pressreleases/ul-begins-work-on-utility-meter-standard-for-canada/
As of this date every digital meter that has been installed on our homes has no certification of safety from any independent agency.
In British Columbia the Safety Standards Act exempts BC Hydro and Fortis from having the equipment they own from being CSA approved on the basis that utility companies have experts who can do the job of certifying safety. When this exemption was granted, years ago, all electrical equipment was placed some distance from homes – the analog was not electrical. But with the introduction of the digital meter all this changed. Now we have electrical equipment that carries an electrical current on our homes, being put into a base which was certified to hold an analog and has not been certified to hold any other type of meter.
The exemption also was granted with a major condition: THAT A PROFESSIONAL ELECTRICAL ENGINEER LICENSED IN BC CERTIFY THE EQUIPMENT TO BE SAFE. I have an admission from BC Hydro that no such certification exists. This means that the digital meters – all the digital meters whether radiating or not – have not been certified to be safe according to the laws of British Columbia.
Under normal circumstances BC Safety Standards Ass. (BCSA) would take action, requiring that the law be enforced, but, like the BC Utilities Commission, you have forbidden them from “interfering” with the ‘smart’ meter program.
This situation has led to a device which has many design flaws that could lead and has led to many failures and fires being put on homes, endangering lives and property.
Mr. Bennett and Ms. Clark, by forbidding the BCUC and BCSA from doing their jobs of ensuring the safety and well-being of British Columbians, you are guilty of negligence, of allowing harmful negligence to occur.
Sincerely,
Sharon Noble
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From: “Andrew Adams” <andrew.adams@hc-sc.gc.ca>
Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 2014 6:15:33 AM
Subject: Re: Microwave radiation
Dear XXXXXXX
Thank you for your correspondence of August 30, 2014, concerning Wi-Fi in schools.
Health Canada’s mandate on the issue of human exposure to radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic energy is to carry out research into possible health effects, monitor the scientific literature related to such effects on an ongoing basis, and develop exposure guidelines such as the Limits of Human Exposure to Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Energy in the Frequency Range from 3 kHz to 300 GHz – Safety Code 6. Devices that emit RF energy are regulated by Industry Canada. To ensure that public exposures fall within acceptable guidelines, Industry Canada has developed regulatory standards that require compliance with the human exposure limits outlined in Health Canada’s Safety Code 6.
A proposed update to Safety Code 6, which includes RF exposure limits that are more restrictive than those in the current version of Safety Code 6, was recently reviewed by an Expert Panel of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC). The RSC concluded that there are no established adverse human health effects at exposure levels below those proposed limits. In accordance with the Department’s commitment to transparency and openness in its decision-making processes, Health Canada subsequently published its 2014 proposed revisions to Safety Code 6 for a 60-day comment period which ended July 15, 2014, to allow for public review and input.
Please be assured that Canadians’ health remains well protected from RF energy by the human exposure limits required by the current Safety Code 6. The current Safety Code establishes and maintains a human exposure limit that is far below the threshold for potential adverse health effects. The current exposure limits, even before the review, are consistent with science-based standards used in other parts of the world (e.g., the United States, the European Union, Japan, Australia and New Zealand). Health Canada’s proposed update would make Canada’s limits among the most rigorous science-based limits in the world.
At this time, advice from the RSC’s Expert Panel, as well as comments of a scientific nature that were received during the public consultation, are being considered in the development of the final revised version of Safety Code 6.
Health Canada has determined that low-level exposure to RF energy from Wi-Fi equipment is not dangerous to the public. As long as exposure is below the limits established in Safety Code 6, there is no convincing scientific evidence that emissions from this equipment are dangerous to school children or to Canadians in general.
As decisions regarding the implementation of Wi-Fi in schools are not within Health Canada’s mandate, we recommend that you share your concerns with your local school board or provincial authorities.
You may wish to visit the following websites for more information:
Health Canada – Wi-Fi Equipment
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/radiation/cons/wifi/index-eng.php
Health Canada – FAQ Wi-Fi
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/radiation/cons/wifi/faq-eng.php
Health Canada – It’s Your Health – Wi-Fi
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/iyh-vsv/prod/wifi-eng.php
Health Canada – Statement on RF Energy and Wi-Fi
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/ftr-ati/_2012/2012_02-eng.php
I hope you find this information helpful.
Andrew M. Adams
Director General / Directeur général
Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate / Direction des sciences de la santé environnementale et de la radioprotection
HECSB / DGSESC
AL 4908D
Health Canada / Santé Canada
Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9
E-mail: Andrew.Adams@hc-sc.gc.ca
**** EDITOR’ NOTE (Ted, the webmaster) *****
The above is Health Canada’s official position
Canada and the US are continuing to say that Safety Code 6 RF Radiation allowable levels are not harmful to people. What are we then to make of the 1000’s of studies that show harm and what about the many countries that are continuing to lower the RF Radiation allowable levels. See Russia, Germany, etc It is my belief that money from the telecommunications industry in the form of taxation in forcing the Canadian and US governments to allow this abomination. Our government is trading a balanced budget now for the future health impacts on the population, a time when the politicians will be dead or retired.
This is why the Coalition to Stop Smart Meters in BC is continuing to fight the installation of Smart Meters and other devices that are harming the people of BC.
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You won’t believe this.
Christy Clark is trying to change the BC Society Act to give deep-pocketed interests new powers to drag any community group that opposes them into court.
The changes would allow private interests to sue environmental and community groups for opposing their projects, tying those groups up in expensive court battles. Environmental organizations, neighbourhood associations, churches, you name it — they could all find themselves targeted if Clark’s plan goes through.
The potential impact of this policy is chilling. It could effectively muzzle free expression and public debate across British Columbia, striking at the very heart of our democratic values and giving unprecedented power to those with the deepest pockets.
This is wrong and the NDP is going to fight it. But we need your help.
Please click here right now to add your voice and show Christy Clark that we won’t stand for this.
This plan affects over 27,000 groups across the province.
It could bankrupt small community organizations, muzzle public dissent, and force non-profits to fight against constant legal proceedings from anyone who disagrees with their work.
The legislative session ends this Thursday, and we have a simple goal: get as many people as possible to join our campaign before the legislature adjourns.
Please add your name now to send Christy Clark a message before it’s too late: Don’t Muzzle BC!
With your help, we can stop this.
-John Horgan
Leader – BC New Democrats
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