1) Judge Adair’s decision can be read at:
http://citizensforsafetechnology.org/Judgment-of-Madam-Justice-Adair,85,4472
Will try to have comments soon – but as CBC below says, the Judge has left the door open. It is not a declaration that $$meters are safe.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/smart-meter-bc-hydro-1.3678104
2) Planetworks, which is in the business of supporting companies looking for space to put cell transmitters (and has “tested” smeters to show that there are only a few signals a day!!), has put out a document about RF safety on roof tops. It makes some astonishing and frightening admissions: No one is monitoring, no one is responsible, no one really knows what the emissions levels are. Workers who go on the roofs are being exposed and, in many cases, are unprotected and unaware. This information would apply to anyone allowing a cell tower to be put on his property. As more transmitters are added, no one is monitoring to ensuring that even the high levels allowed by Safety Code 6 are followed and all responsibility, including being sued, rests with the property owner (who cannot get insurance).
a) No one is monitoring levels of RF even in residential areas. “This is an honour system with little or no enforcement and no central repository to file the SC6 reports.”
b) The ultimate responsibility for safety rests with the property owners and management: “The managers of the roof tops – landlords, property managers, strata owners etc, collectively referred as roof top managers – are ultimately responsible to ensure that the roof top is safe for all those accessing it.”
Relevant to this are a couple of videos I’ve circulated a couple of times. These were made by one of our members from a video surreptitiously made at an insurance presentation in which the company was advising its salesmen to warn their customers about the dangers of these hidden transmitters. Their customers could be liable for harm being done to workers. I hope you will share this info. People are being exposed without being warned or without being able to take precautions.
(video 09:59) Caution to Workers – part 1 by yaknowthatitsreal – YouTube – May 16, 2011:
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_5truC-REs
(This interesting talk with an insurance advisor to warn people that work near wireless antennas – and those that may not even know the antennas are there.)
(video 10:00) Caution to Workers – part 2 by yaknowthatitsreal – YouTube – May 16, 2011:
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hh0BRgvDAW8
3) Anyone considering leasing property to a cell company for their transmitter should be shown this industry notice:
http://web.archive.org/web/20160714012938/http:/www.antennamgt.com/antenna-resources/rf-insurance
4) More experts are writing to the USA FCC objecting to and warning about the introduction of new 5G spectrum use for wireless technology that has not been tested, and with a high probability of causing serious harm.
5) In the segment of the BCUC draft report tonight, please note the contradictions regarding the need to certify the smeters by an independent body. Also note that Saskatchewan has required that any $$meters that replace the recalled ones must meet higher standards than those used to certify the Sensus meters that burned, e.g. stricter with higher standards than UL 2735.
Letters:
| Subject: | RE: Office of the Ombudsperson – Contact form submission, Media and Events |
| Date: | Tue, 12 Jul 2016 18:13:28 +0000 |
| From: | Brad Densmore <BDensmore@bcombudsperson.ca> |
| To: | X |
Hi X
Thanks for your email. In addition to in person meetings at our Victoria office and mobile clinic, there are several other convenient ways to make a complaint to the Office of the Ombudsperson:
- Toll-free: 1-800-567-3247 (all of B.C.)
- By Fax: 250-387-0198 (Victoria)
- By Mail: PO Box 9039 STN PROV GOVT, Victoria, B.C. V8W 9A5 Canada
No matter the option you choose, you will be put in contact with our trained intake staff who assess all complaints equally and respond within five business days. If you have more questions about our intake process please don’t hesitate to call the 1-800 number above.
Our resources allow us to conduct one or two mobile complaint clinics each year. We hope to get to the Fraser Valley again soon but no date is currently planned.
Thanks again for getting in touch – hope this reaches you well.
Brad Densmore
Outreach, Information and Education Officer
Office of the Ombudsperson
250 356 7740
https://www.bcombudsperson.ca
= = =
From: Office of the Ombudsperson [mailto:systems@bcombudsperson.ca]
Sent: July-11-16 11:24 AM
To: Brad Densmore
Subject: Office of the Ombudsperson – Contact form submission, Media and Events
A user has submitted the contact form under the Media and Event inquiry type.
Submission ID 1017
Date Mon, 07/11/2016 – 11:23
Name X
Preferred Contact Method Email
Primary Phone Number
Alternate Phone Number
Email Address xxxxxx
Message
Why do you not publicize your mobile clinics in such a way as the public knows about them. We need more of these in the province. When are you coming out to the Fraser Valley? Chilliwack in particular. The only way people like me found out that you even hold these things is someone sent me a link to an article in the Williams Lake paper. There are a lot of people in this province that need your help so please have these clinics more often and PUBLICIZE them Please.
_________________________________________________________________________
RESPONSE TO “BCUC’s Staff Report on Smart Meter Fire Safety Concerns” Segment #4.
KEY: Highlighted text is from Sharon Noble Non-highlighted text is the draft report as written by BCUC staff.
= = =
Investigation Scope cont’d
This investigation addresses the following questions concerning the certification of smart meters in BC.
7) Are watthour meters required to be certified safe by a professional electrical engineer licensed in BC and if so, has it been done?
There is a disagreement between BC Hydro/BCUC and the BCSA. The BCSA has stated in writing that BC Hydro should be certifying using a BC Professional Engineer. However, since BC Hydro employs BC Professional Electrical Engineers, the question should be: “What responsibility do the BC Hydro Engineers have in certifying the smart meter system and approving the BC Hydro procedures, and assuring the diligent and consistent application of Engineering Practices? How much of the Engineering of the meter system was delegated to the meter supplier Itron and not supervised by BC Hydro Engineers? Correspondence with BC Hydro suggests that much of the work was delegated to Itron and apparently was not validated by BC Hydro Engineers.
8) What certifications are required for smart meters in BC and are they adequate?
A critical item missing in this Report is any investigation and discussion about the meter’s built-in 200 Ampere disconnect switch. The switch is not CSA certified, yet it is being used as a “Service Disconnect Switch” – (CSA Code definition), for which it is not designed. Several requests for technical performance and certification data have been ignored by BC Hydro and by Itron. The switch is a potential failure mechanism, in particular during fault conditions, because as described elsewhere, the electrical protection on the HV side of the transformer does not appear to adequately protect the electronic meter from excessive fault current. This BCUC Report states that BC Hydro meters do not need to be certified under the Electrical Safety Regulations, however it also states that BC Hydro is NOT exempt from the Electrical Safety Act. An immediate investigation into the design, certification, testing, operation and capabilities of this disconnect switch is required.
Note: Over the several years during meter implementation plans the BCUC did not review any of the Utilities’ smart meter documentation and practices, including compliance with certifications and questionable practices that violate CSA Certifications, so this report involves the BCUC in failures being studied by its own review.
Smart Meter Background
In 2010, BC Hydro started their smart meter program to replace the existing watthour meter stock. BC Hydro was required to undertake this program pursuant to the 2010 Clean Energy Act and supporting regulations. This program was substantially completed in 2015 with 1.93 million meters replaced.
FortisBC followed with a similar Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) program which was ongoing as of November 2015 having replaced 124 thousand meters. FortisBC’s AMI program was approved by the BCUC in July, 2013 by order C-7-13. Similar initiatives have been undertaken by utilities around the world with over 50 million smart meters having been installed in the United States.4
Both BC Hydro and FortisBC have chosen to install the Itron OpenWay CENTRON II watthour meters. As of 2012, Itron’s share of the US smart meter market was approximately 45%.5
There have been smart meter programs that have been halted unacceptable incidents and in other jurisdictions due to fire concerns. After the occurrence of several meter related fires, SaskPower halted its smart meter initiative in 2014 and removed over 100,000 smart meters. The Sensus Generation 3.3 meters installed by SaskPower were found to have design issues that could result in dust and water penetration into the meter leading to electrical shorting within the meter.6
Note that SaskPower has initiated a program that recognizes faulty meters that were certified under UL 2735 have failed and are being replaced. SaskPower is working with its meter supplier and the Standards Organization Underwriters Laboratories, to develop a Standard that will improve the UL 2735 requirements.
Quote ”Any new smart meter designed for SaskPower’s use must meet more stringent requirements than currently exist. These requirements, as well as current industry standards, will be subject to independent verification prior to acceptance or installation by SaskPower.
SaskPower continues to remove all remaining smart meters in the province with a deadline for completion of March 15, 2015.
SaskPower says it has reached an agreement with U.S.-based manufacturer Sensus to recover the $47 million cost of removing smart meters that were installed across the province.
The Crown utility says it will receive a $24 million cash refund from Sensus for all the smart meters purchased by SaskPower, including the ones that had already been installed.
In an agreement previously announced SaskPower and Sensus specifically agreed to an investment of $5 million toward a next generation meter that meets SaskPower’s specific needs.
Any new smart meter designed for SaskPower’s use must meet more stringent requirements than currently exist. These requirements, as well as current industry standards, will be subject to independent verification prior to acceptance or installation by SaskPower.” Unquote
SaskPower continues to remove all remaining smart meters in the province with a deadline for completion of March 15, 2015.” Unquote.
4 Electric Power Annual 2013, U.S. energy Information Administration, Table 10.10.
5 Global Market for Smart Electricity Meters: Government Policies Driving Strong Growth, U.S. International Trade Commission, 2014.
6 Smart Meter Review, Crown Investments Corporation of Saskatchewan, 2014.
Sharon Noble
Director, Coalition to Stop Smart Meters
“Our Society is run by insane people for insane objectives. We are being run by maniacs for maniacal ends and I m liable to be put away as insane for expressing that.
That’s what is insane about it…”
~ John Lennon