California utility regulators won’t block Pacific Gas & Electric from completing installations of its controversial Smart Meters, despite questions about long-term health effects.
On Dec. 2, the California Public Utilities Commission rejected a request by a safety watchdog group to postpone PG&E’s installation of the new digital meters until further studies on potential health impacts could be completed.
In a 4-1 vote, the CPUC voted against the moratorium application filed by EMF Safety Network, an advocacy group concerned with health effects related to electromagnetic fields and radio frequency
radiation. The commission found that the radio frequency emissions are one-six thousandth of the federal health standard at a distance of 10 feet from the meter.
“Although the Network has raised concerns about [radio frequency] emissions from Smart Meters, it is undisputed that the contribution of these Smart Meters to [radio frequency] is exceedingly small relative to the levels FCC [Federal Communications Commission] allows, and small in comparison to that of many commonly used devices,” the commission wrote.
In the application filed on April 10 the Network asked the CPUC for an independent study of radio frequency emissions from Smart Meters, arguing that the commission hadn’t fully addressed those concerns before allowing PG&E’s deployment of the devices.
It also questioned the adequacy of federal radiation safety standards. PG&E argued that Federal Communications Commission standards pre-empted state or local regulations.
EMF Safety Network founder Sandi Maurer told the Sun the group is “disappointed” by the ruling, arguing the commission simply echoed information provided by the utility. She said plans are already in place to appeal the decision.
“They didn’t investigate themselves. They just parroted PG&E’s propaganda,” Maurer said. “PG&E has provided inconsistent and unreliable data, and the commission took their information from [PG&E] without ever questioning it.”
Maurer added that Jared Huffman, Democratic Assemblyman for California’s 6th District, which includes Marin and southern Sonoma counties, has asked the California Council of Science and Technology to examine federal safety standards, and that a report is due out in a few weeks.
“There’s a pending study right now looking at the adequacy of FCC safety standards,” Maurer said. “And the [CPUC] acted in advance of that study.
“We are urging people to refuse Smart Meters because of health, security, and financial reasons,” Maurer said. Currently, more than 20 cities and three counties have formally objected to the mandatory deployment of Smart Meters after some residents complained of insomnia, headaches, and other health problems they attribute to the new meters.
PG&E maintains that the new meters are safe and comply with federal regulations.
“We look to the experts for this information, and there have been several studies over the last few decades which show no adverse health effects from mobile phone devices,” PG&E Spokesman Paul Moreno said. “As you would imagine, Smart Meters transmit far less frequency than mobile phones.
“But I don’t want to sound unsympathetic,” Moreno added. “We want our customers to feel safe and, in light of customer concerns, we are evaluating options to alleviate some of those concerns and still finish installations.”
Moreno wouldn’t elaborate on those options except to say planning is currently in preliminary stages of review and more information will be available in the coming months.
The utility began installations of Smart Meters in Santa Maria in late November. According to Moreno, roughly 500 have been installed in the city, and the company plans to have completed installations for its 43,000 electric customers by the spring.
This article appears in Dec 9-16, 2010.