RECEIVED August I 0, 2011 AUG 1 7 ?n11 CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE Attention: BC Hydro CITY OF PRINCE GEORGE [email protected] \v'~e: Refusal of Installation of the Smart Meter on my home: ~ , Prince George, B.C. V2K 5V6 Dated the I 0th day of August, 20 l 1, Please accept this as your official notice from this date forward of my absolute refusal to allow the installation of a wireless Smart Meter on my home or premises atf Prince George, B.C.::>Jf' BC Hydro Account No: You do not have my authorization or permission to enter my property for the purpose of replacing my current meter with a wireless Smart Meter. Any attempt to install this device on my property or residence will constitute trespass and a violation of all rights afforded to me as a citizen of Canada. Please note that I will take all actions necessary to defend these rights. The possible health effects and exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields is still unclear and under study in many parts of the world. It is premature of B.C. Hydro to use Health Canada limits as absolute and final when there is so much outstanding research and contrary findings. It is also unclear in the B.C. Hydro public information as to what levels will be produced when the Smart Meters transmit signals in relay from one meter to another (referred to in the B.C. Hydro handout; page 7, #3 "Data is relayed by a network to the collector") and how this will increase the electromagnetic field not only in single dwellings but what the resulting fields may be in multi-dwellings and office buildings with many meters installed in one or several locations. I have taken the time to inform myself regarding this matter and have been on the Itron, Centron, Open Way Meter site for additional information. To the best ofmy knowledge and investigation there is a considerable amount of information that has not been included in the published B.C. Hydro site/documents, specifically addressing the technical ability built into the Smart Meter to remotely control and override the usage of power at the discretion of the supplier once all systems are in place and communicating with household appliances, not to mention business operations and their electrical/technical equipment. I attended the Prince George Chamber of Commerce meeting held on July 21 , 2011 and the BC Hydro representatives advised that it is not B.C. Hydro's intention to connect The Smart Meter with Smart Appliances unless requested to do so by the occupant. However this still does not address the fact that once the Smart Meters have been installed B.C. Hydro still has the ability to activate the technology irrespective of the end user and I am not convinced that the appropriate "watchdogs" are in place to ensure that this does not become a reality in the near future. My concerns are many when I consider what the final outcomes may be and they include: • Increased exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (this is significantly different from other wireless appliances we may have in our homes as we can personally control our exposure by shutting offthese appliances, cell phones etc whereas we will have no such option with the Smart Meter application) • Remote control over power usage/ appliances by the supplier (technological capabilities as advertised in the Itron web-site) • Security of the information that could be gathered. I have heard may responses from B.C. Hydro representatives in meetings, radio and T.V. in which they confirm absolute security of the system. I am sorry ifl remain concerned especially in the resent history of the B.C. Government's debacle re: on-line gambling and even more resent the hacking scandal that is currently under investigation at the Federal level. • Increased rates on usage. (This was the immediate result when the Smart Meters were installed in San Francisco which is now under legal review) • The technology, as reported by Itron has the capability to include readings and control of usage on other utilities such as natural gas meters and where applicable, water meters once smart chips have been installed. If this were to be undertaken in this application it would and could result in remote control of all services to the end user. Further, the Itron Smart Meter is being marketed with the ability to take a reading of power usage every second. On their web-site that did say that some of the meters can be limited to a signal every 15 seconds. B.C. Hydro maintains that the Itron Smart Meter that they are installing will be taking a reading once per hour or for the sum total of one minute per day (as stated by Fiona Taylor). This leads to my concern with the expense that is being undertaken to install this equipment (reported to be in excess of a billion dollars) if this equipment is going to be dumbed down as per the extent that B.C. Hydro is reporting. This, in my opinion is an unreasonable expense for so little. Under these circumstances I seriously question why B.C. Hydro has purchased technology with such extensive application if they do not intend to use it to its fullest capacity. My concern is that once the focus is off this issue and the meters are installed B.C. Hydro will use the technology as designed. Since it is my fundamental right to protect my health from a possible carcinogen, specifically radiofrequency electromagnetic fields emitted by the wireless Smart Meter this supersedes any right you have to install a wireless smart meter on my property. I also maintain that aside from health concerns there are still too many unanswered questions that I have as a tax payer with voter rights as to why this technology is being implemented and I believe that there are many outstanding issues that must be addressed by Federal, Provincial and Municipal agencies and reported fully to the public before this project is taken any further. You still have authorization to attend at my property for the purpose of reading the non-wireless meter manually. I thank you for your attention to this matter and I remain watchful ofthe outcome. Karen J. Beeson P.S. I personally sent an e-mail letter to the attention of Honourable Michael de Jong, Honourable Rich Coleman and Honourable Terry Lake on May 11, 2011 outlining my concerns with the installation of the Smart Meters. To date I have only received the following reply and it states that there is an initiative to conduct further research projects, which I doubt have been completed. June 13, 201 1 Thank you for your e-mail of May I l, 2011. to the Honourable Michael de Jong, Minister of Health regarding your concerns about the BC Hydro Smart Meter program. Your email has been referred to me for response. BC Centre for Disease Control's (BCCDC) Radiation Protection Services provide leadership and expertise on radiation protection matters falling under provincial jurisdiction and advocate a radiation health perspective in all public policy matters relating to hazards from exposure to radiation sources. I have taken the liberty of passing a copy of your letter to the BC CDC to make sure they arc aware of your concerns about electromagnetic radiation from wireless meters. Ministry of Health staff have contacted BCCDC and repo11 that BCCDC has measured radiation from smart meters proposed by BC Hydro and have found radiation emitted by them to fall well below levels of concern in Health Canada's Safety Code 6. and they are currently planning further research projects. As sma11 meters have already been introduced in many pai1s of the world, studies arising from these programs will be of interest to BCCDC. If you have further questions on this matter. please contact: Dr. Abderrachid Zitouni Provincial Radiation Specialist BC Centre for Disease Control ( 604) 707 2450 Thank you for bringing your concerns to my attention. Yours trnly, Tim Lambc11 Executive Director Ministry of Health Cc: NDP Energy Critic John Horgan ([email protected]) NDP Deputy Health Critic Sue Hammell, ([email protected]) BC Chief Medical Officer Perry Kendall ([email protected]); Green Party Federal Leader Elizabeth May, [email protected] Minister of Health, Mike de Jong ([email protected]) NDP Health Critic Mike Farnworth ([email protected]) Minister of Energy Rich Coleman ([email protected]) Liberal BC Leader Christy Clark ( [email protected]) NDP BC Leader Adrian Dix ([email protected]) -Green Party BC Leader Jane Sterk ([email protected]) Honourable Shirely Bond ([email protected]) Prince George City Council, Attention: Mayor Dan Rogers. .