USA: Enorme weerstand burgers tegen invoering slimme meter, dramatische hoorzitting.

Gerelateerd bericht: Verhalen/3485

Tijdens een heftig dispuut over de wenselijkheid van de invoering van slimme meters wordt een elektrogevoelige actievoerder, Jean McDonnell, afgevoerd met hartaanval, naar later bleek een gescheurde aorta mogelijk nadat hij onwel werd van mobieltjes en TL-lampen in de zaal:

Bron: Ouraynews 23 dec. 2011

Getting smarter about smart meters

Auteur: Jessi Marlatt

Ridgway Town Council will send San Miguel Power Association a strongly worded letter requesting a decrease in opt-out fees from Smart Meter installation. At the RTC regular meeting on Dec. 14, two hours were spent discussing new technology and potential health hazards to electro-sensitive community members.

Jean McDonnell, an electro-sensitive member of Citizens Against Smart Meters, requested the council adopt a posture to stop smart meter installation for one year, so that health impacts of the new meters can be addressed. “I am asking that you support a moratorium even though you have no authority to enforce one,” said McDonnell. Before the meeting, McDonnell had told the Plaindealer she was feeling... physically weak.

Terry Daley, SMPA Manager of Engineering and Operations, began with a brief overview of the technology.
SMPA has 13,000 meters in the service area, which ranges from Silverton to Colona and west to the Utah border. The publicly owned co-op employs three meter readers to cover the entire region. By switching to the Aclara-built Two Way Communication System (TWACS), SMPA plans to save 64,000 pounds of diesel fuel annually. TWACS have been in use for 25 years, over 12 million are in operation around the world and they are in 42 states. “We’ve made a commitment to this system. It is a good system, and it meets FCC requirements,” Daley said.

Steen Hviid, a mechanical engineer who was on speaker phone, spoke against the meters. He predicted Ouray County will see an increase in the sale of sleep aids, ADD medications and painkillers for migraines after the smart meters are installed.

Jean McDonnell stood at the podium, still feeling weak. “I may lose my home over this,” she said. “None of the SMPA numbers have been verified outside of the industry, and there is a lack of independent research.” She added the $25 opt-out fee is extortion. McDonnell told the council that her doctor stated she probably will not be able to stay in her home or the community if the meters are installed.
“I’ve been nothing but truthful and honest. I’ve tried to educate my community because I want them to be aware of the dangers of RF (radio frequency) and EMF (electric and magnetic fields). There is little doubt that EMF causes childhood leukemia, breast cancer and Alzheimer’s.”

Daley replied, “A lot of these studies are opinion based; show me the science.”
McDonnell handed him packets of literature, saying, “Here is the science.”

Mayor Pro Tem John Clark said, “None of us have enough experience with this. We are not scientists. I don’t think they (SMPA) are an evil corporation trying to cheat us; they are us.”

Trudy Geils was next to speak. Voice quivering and finger pointing at the council, SMPA staff and the community members present, Geils said, “You know me. I am sick. I am sick because this TWACS was put into my community behind my back. Where were you, council? Shame on you. We all said we would stand up, who is standing up now? Twenty years ago, we said never in our community. Now I am the first that has to go.”

Gary Hansen, Ouray City Council member, said he is opposed not to TWACS, but to the anti-smart meter group that has, in his opinion, wasted hundreds of hours of elected officials’ time. “Facts and truth trump opinions and wild speculations,” said Hansen, before he read a Wikipedia definition for 'paranoia'.

Christopher Blair, retired attorney, stood at the podium with a proposal. “Put them in the outlying areas, not in the towns where it will be concentrated and wait six months to see if there are any answers.”

Susan Maybach, Ridgway resident, said she is happy with the service she receives from SMPA and sees no reason for an upgrade.

Susan Baker of Solar Ranch questioned if the meters were connected with recent light bulb explosions in her house and with her computer crashes.

Riley explained that installation of the meters began in November. “We are changing out the meters but we have not turned on the TWACS yet. They are still just meters that have to be read manually until we take them online. We will start pinging meters in January.” Riley explained SMPA plans to communicate with the meters once every eight hours. When asked about the effectiveness of an opt-out, he stated, “The opt-out form prevents a TWACS meter from being placed on a home. It does not stop the outgoing current from hitting a home… It makes no difference.”

“I am more concerned with a communication device mounted on every home that can be tweaked and upgraded and changed,” said Joe Ryan, Ridgway resident.
While Ryan was speaking about privacy concerns, McDonnell stepped out of the room.
Willits asked Hviid, still on the line, why the only websites that talk about harmful effects of dirty electricity are selling filters for dirty electricity.

Moments later Debra Braden ran into the room to retrieve a cell phone. “Someone call 9-1-1. She collapsed in the hall.”
Willits called a recess. Clark called 9-1-1.

McDonnell lay on the floor until paramedics arrived to transport her to Montrose. As paramedics wheeled her out of the building, she said, “It's the cell phones, the fluorescent lights, it is all of the cell phones.” The following day she was flown to Saint Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction on a Flight for Life helicopter. While in flight she suffered from a stroke. McDonnell underwent surgery to repair a torn aorta and as of Tuesday was in stable condition.

The reported symptoms of electromagnetic sensitivity include headache; fatigue; stress; sleep disturbances; skin symptoms like prickling, burning sensations and rashes; pain; and ache in muscles. More severe reactions can include seizures, paralysis, psychosis and stroke. These symptoms are reported to come from exposure to electromagnetic fields which are emitted by all electronics at varying degrees. All electronics, including all types of smart meters, emit some level of electromagnetic field.

After the recess, council asked SMPA questions and discussed their feelings and concerns about the smart meters.

Councilor Rick Weaver had a problem with the opt-out fee. “There will be a portion of the population that will want to opt out, but maybe some won’t because of the $25 monthly fee. It can’t cost $25 to read a meter. If enough people opt out the cost will be much less.”

Willits explained that he has conducted extensive research into smart meters. He said, “I believe that electro-sensitivity is a real problem and that it is growing in this county, this community and across the world, but it is not smart meters. What people should really be concerned about are cell phones, not TWACS.”

Clark agreed with Weaver and Willits. Clark also admitted to saying too much, directing his remarks at Hansen. “That was a low blow talking about paranoia. I don’t see that TWACS are any more dangerous than the existing electrical system we live with now and we will continue to live with it unless we all want to move into caves.”
Councilors Rich Durnan and Eric Johnson agreed with the opt-out fee reduction request.

On the other side of the aisle sat Jim Kavanaugh, who stated, “I regret we didn’t have this conversation before they bought the meters. I am in support of a moratorium because it is a consumer rights issue. You should respect individuals who do not want them.”
Councilor Ellen Hunter agreed, saying a significant portion of the population is opposed.

Consensus was to send a “strongly worded letter” to SMPA requesting they seriously reconsider affordable opt-out options.

More information about SMPA’s Advanced Metering Infrastructure project can be found online at www.smpa.com/EE/AMI.cfm .

More information on the potential effects of smart meters can be found at www.stopsmartmeters.org .

Voor het originele verslag zie:
www.ouraynews.com/index.php/ridgway/3-town-government/418-getting-smarter-about-smart-meters .

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