This is my rebuttal to DTE Energy Vice Chairman,
Steve Kurmas, who gave his verbal testimony to the Michigan Energy
Policy Committee on February 21, 2017, regarding "smart" AMI meters. His verbal testimony starts at about 1:15:00 in the above video. He also submitted written testimony here.
Mr. Kurmas wrote that over 65 million AMI (smart/electronic) meters have been installed
across the US with no issues of health or security.
Regarding Health...
Of course utility companies are going to tell you that their new equipment is safe. That is what they have been told by the manufacturers. The manufacturers claim the equipment is safe because it falls within certain FCC guidelines. They don't mention that the FCC is not a health regulatory agency, they are not protecting the public's health, and the FCC guidelines have been under attack for a number of years.
Mr. Kurmas also did not mention that the United States is one of three countries that allows about 100 times more outdoor pulsed radiofrequency radiation than most the rest of the world, and that never before in recorded history have over 2 million transmitting public utility meters been installed in Michigan. So we, and other states fitted with electronic public utility meters, are literally functioning as test markets on health effects.
Mr. Kurmas also did not mention all the people who testified to ill health effects after smart or electronic meter installation, at the 2014 Michigan OversightCommittee Hearing.
Since then, many more Michigan citizens have come forward, testifying to adverse health effects after electronic meter installation, including myself.
Mr. Kurmas also did not mention that the United States is one of three countries that allows about 100 times more outdoor pulsed radiofrequency radiation than most the rest of the world, and that never before in recorded history have over 2 million transmitting public utility meters been installed in Michigan. So we, and other states fitted with electronic public utility meters, are literally functioning as test markets on health effects.
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| Image from the Environmental Health Trust |
Mr. Kurmas also did not mention all the people who testified to ill health effects after smart or electronic meter installation, at the 2014 Michigan OversightCommittee Hearing.
Since then, many more Michigan citizens have come forward, testifying to adverse health effects after electronic meter installation, including myself.
Mr. Kurmas also wrote, "the average cell phone produces as much as 100,000 times more RF than an
AMI meter." What he did not tell
you is: That statement has been challenged by a Professor of Nuclear Policy, Daniel Hirsch. Hirsh states that when corrected for
duty-cycle and whole-body exposure, "the cumulative whole body exposure
from a Smart Meter at 3 feet appears to be approximately two orders of magnitude
higher than that of a cell phone, rather than two orders of magnitude lower."
As of February of this year, the World Health Organization updated its "Cancer Fact Sheet" page to include non-ionizing radiation as a risk factor under the category "Reducing the Cancer Burden". Electronic "smart" meters emit pulsed non-ionizing radiation continuously.
Traditional analog meters do not expose us to pulsed non-ionizing radiation, a possible human carcinogen.
As of February of this year, the World Health Organization updated its "Cancer Fact Sheet" page to include non-ionizing radiation as a risk factor under the category "Reducing the Cancer Burden". Electronic "smart" meters emit pulsed non-ionizing radiation continuously.
Traditional analog meters do not expose us to pulsed non-ionizing radiation, a possible human carcinogen.
Regarding Security...
In March of 2016, Computer
Weekly (dot) com posted an article written by Bryan Glick, titled
"Government warned of smart meter security threat back in 2012." The article concludes with a call for the
"smart" meter project to be "'halted, altered or scrapped'
immediately to avert an expensive IT failure."
Another article, from
Security Week (dot) com, written by Eduard Kovacs in January of this year, is titled
"Smart Meters Pose Security Risks to Consumers, Utilities..." and
begins with, "Serious vulnerabilities in smart electricity meters continue
to expose both consumers and electric utilities to cyberattacks."
In his verbal testimony, Mr. Kurmas admitted that the information gathered from a smart meter is akin to the information you would get if you stood in someone's yard right next to their analog gas, electric, and/or water meter. He did not say that by doing so, you would be able to tell if someone got up in the middle of the night, slept-in, or even if someone was home, late getting home, or on vacation.
Traditional analog public
utility meters do not make our homes and our privacy vulnerable.
Regarding Canada...
Mr. Kurmas also stated that
in 2012, Canada
What Mr. Kurmas did not tell you was that in 2014, SaskPower of
Canada pulled 105,000 smart meters after "eight unexplained fires associated with the units."
And, in 2016,Canada
Canada's auditor-general stated there are "few benefits for the hefty cost" of smart meters.
In his 14 years of being with the Fire Department, Fire Chief Duane Roddy of Oscoda Township, had never himself witnessed a traditional analog meter fire. Yet, as he testified in front of you (Michigan's Energy Policy Committee) on February 21st, within 36 hours of installation, the smart meter on his cabin "arced" and almost caught his cabin on fire.
Was that a blessing of disclosure in disguise?
And, in 2016,
Canada's auditor-general stated there are "few benefits for the hefty cost" of smart meters.
In his 14 years of being with the Fire Department, Fire Chief Duane Roddy of Oscoda Township, had never himself witnessed a traditional analog meter fire. Yet, as he testified in front of you (Michigan's Energy Policy Committee) on February 21st, within 36 hours of installation, the smart meter on his cabin "arced" and almost caught his cabin on fire.
"Thirty-six hours after installation, I had a fire myself," testified Fire Chief Roddy,
"we're seeing... the fire is at the meter."
Was that a blessing of disclosure in disguise?
Availability and maintenance...
Mr. Kurmas also stated that analog
meters were not manufactured any longer.
There are a couple of different websites I know of where anyone can
order an analog electric meter. So they are
available. And if the law of supply and
demand is true, the supply will follow the demand.
Mr. Kurmas also stated that
traditional analog meters needed to be maintained. However, he didn't mention that traditional
analog meters have a life expectancy of double (or more) that of AMI smart
meters. So they will either be checking traditional analog meters, or totally replacing AMI smart meters, every few years. Is that more "green", or less?
Links...
- Written Comments on HB 4220 by Steve Kurmas, Vice Chairman of DTE Energy
- About the FCC
- Isn't the FCC protecting us?
- International EMF Scientist Appeal to the World Health Organization
- Michigan Oversight Committee Hearing December 2014 Part 1
- Michigan Oversight Committee Hearing December 2014 Part 2
- Professor Daniel Hirsch Abstract on Smart Meter Health Impacts
- Article: Government warned of smart meter security threat back in 2012
- Article: Smart Meters Pose Security Risks to Consumers, Utilities
- Article: Hydro One pulling plug on 36,000 rural smart meters after years of complaints
- Canada's auditor says "few benefits" from US $1.7bn rollout
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