Smart meters

Thank you to Health and Human Services for requesting information and public comment on this long-ignored agent of harm. Question 2 – Perspective I am commenting as an individual with a degree in physics and extensive knowledge of electromagnetic fields (EMF) and radio frequency (RF) radiation. Question 3 – Experiences with Potential Adverse Health Effects I started having headaches after using my first mobile phone. During years of careful observation, I noticed similar headaches after being near operating Wi-Fi, smart utility meters, cell antennas, and other wireless infrastructure. Fortunately, where I worked, the networks were hardwired, and I was not required to carry a mobile phone. And, I live far enough away from cell antennas in a wired house. I don’t carry a mobile phone and avoid high RF radiation areas, e.g. sports stadiums. I did not consent to be irradiated so other people can stream video on their mobile phones. Questions 6 and 12 – Existing Scientific Evidence Scientists around the globe have performed literally hundreds of investigations of the adverse effects on human health and the environment. Other commenters to this RFI submitted the reports of many investigations. I attached one article that is particularly insightful. THE PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM RF/EMF RADIATION EXPOSURE DON’T NEED ANOTHER INVESTIGATION OR ASSESSMENT OR RESEARCH. THEY NEED THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO ACT TO PROTECT THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF ITS CITIZENS. Remember, tobacco smoking was considered safe for decades before governments took action. Question 11 – Exposure Assessment Any exposure assessment should include ALL populations since many people suffering from RF/EMF radiation are not in the listed groups. Many people may treat symptoms of RF/EMF radiation with caffeine or over the counter drugs. No wonder Americans are so unhealthy. Question 13 – Cumulative Exposure Any manmade RF/EMF radiation source that radiates into public spaces and a public person cannot power off must be included in any cumulative exposure assessment. Question 15 - Wireless Infrastructure Exposure ALL types of scientific evidence should be considered when evaluating RF exposure associated with wireless infrastructure for the listed items. I hope somebody reads my comments.

Dear HHS Team, Re: your question No. 5, I co-founded Hilltown Health (hilltownhealth.org), a safe technology advocacy organization in Western MA, more than a decade ago following my wife's developing electromagnetic radiation syndrome (EMR-S) in 2010. We made a film about the above experience, under the auspices of the theatre company we co-founded in 2004 called "Canary in a Gold Mine" which was released several years ago (ptco.org/canary) In short, Hilltown Health has been collaborating with local planning boards to strengthen and update telecom by-laws as well as advocating for more transparency about RF/EMF health effects given the recent rollout of "smart" meters by our utilities, Eversource and National Grid. We have also reached out to school administrators about the involuntary exposure of school age children in classrooms. There are decision makers who receive evidence of harm (for example, the National Toxicology Program cell phone study: https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/research/topics/cellphones or this review of health effects on children and pregnant women: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1915745/full) and are concerned enough to take action. However, many people in decision making positions, for a wide variety of reasons, have not taken any protective measures on behalf of the people for whom they are responsible. Perhaps the most significant reason for inaction is that the concerned federal agencies have generally indicated that the current exposure standards are protective. The majority of the public thinks the wireless devices they are buying (or installing in the case of educational institutions) have undergone some kind of government testing to ensure that long term exposures are safe. Of course, there has been no such testing. The technology is still too new to fully understand the cradle to grave impacts of 24X7, 365 days a year exposure. And the current "safety standards" were based on a test of one hour or less on a group of animals in the 1980's (see slide 19 of Dr. Kent Chamberlin's public talk in Greenfield, MA entitled "Smart Meters: Health, Safety and Opting-Out" given on November 13, 2025 just before smart meters were installed in Western MA with most residents either not knowing that opting out was an option, not realizing there was any cause for concern about wireless exposure from the meter or accompanying infrastructure or simply not being able to afford the opt out fee despite not wanting to be harmed in their home: https://www.hilltownhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Chamberlin-Slides.Smart-Meter-Presentation.Greenfield.pdf This has created a wild west atmosphere with huge amounts of money at stake and led to public comments, for example by a designer of the smart grid for one of our state utilities that he is not aware of any "credible research" indicating health impacts. We know there are thousands of studies going back to the US Navy research in the 1970's documenting health impacts: https://zoryglaser.com/ But the lack of any clear government guidance beyond a general denial / dismissal on the part of the FCC of there being any health effects emboldens those who have been charged by their corporations to maximize profit. In other words, there is a large scale game of "passing the buck" as in, "if you are concerned, take it up with the FCC." And the FCC saying that they rely on organizations like the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) comprised of industry-funded scientists as is well documented in the documentary "Microwaves, Science and Lies": https://vimeo.com/89144337 Meanwhile, my wife's life and the lives of many, many others have been decimated or simply lost in the case of victims of cell phone induced glioma: https://ehtrust.org/science/cell-phone-radiation-linked-to-brain-cancer-and-tumors-published-science/ Thank you for taking prompt action to rectify this inhuman situation which so closely resembles many other US public health disasters fueled by profits and captured agencies, ie, tobacco, Agent Orange, lead, the automobile industry before Nader, DDT, etc. In addition to updating the safety standards, thank you for considering, the design of "off ramps" for stakeholders who are justifiably concerned about massive losses in class action suits if they were to acknowledge wireless injury. Just as auto makers wound up competing on safety, the wireless industry is very capable of doing the same in the context of a thoughtful policy environment. In the long term, they will be grateful for your help. The engineers and PR people doing the day to day work @ Big Tech are not motivated by the opportunity to harm. But most people are not eager to lose their employment which is currently the bind any potential whistleblower would find themselves in. And thank you for your service.

MY NEIGHBORS AND ANIMALS ARE DYING I am SICK. My family members have been SICK SINCE more than a hundred UNREGULATED TOWERS WENT LIVE over our community. This has been a challenge for me to get anyone to help in my community. I wanted to share my story in hopes of helping others. My story is one of many in Terrebonne Parish. After multiple (9) 300-foot 5G towers were put over our homes, four 300-foot 5G towers were put over my home and animal sanctuary, and four 300-foot towers were put over my office. At the same time, smart meters were put on my home, along with those of every other Entergy customer. I began getting sick, very sick. It began in my petting area with heart palpitations, headaches, vomiting, ringing in my ears, confusion, bleeding gums, insomnia, nightmares, dizziness, anxiety, ears buzzing 24 hours a day, severe fatigue, muscle weakness, and more. I have now been diagnosed with radiation syndrome / EHS (electromagnetic hypersensitivity syndrome) caused by extreme exposure to radiation. Many residents are experiencing similar symptoms. Countless children are now suffering. Being a very healthy person my whole life, this has been a life-changing situation. I am usually the one helping others; now I need your help. I never thought this could happen until I was forced to face it by becoming sick. I'm not sure where this illness will take me. However, I must do all I can to protect my family and my community. Seven neighbors on my street and friends have died after the towers went live over their homes. Many other residents are also sick. My community is surrounded by towers that have no regulatory testing information, nor does our planning department ask for it, citing the FCC's outdated RF radiation guidelines. I became certified in RF radiation testing. I now test the towers and smart meters. I can confirm that the EMF (electromagnetic frequency) / RF (radio frequency) radiation being emitted is extreme for every single product, tower, and smart device I have tested. It has been a fight to protect my family, my community, and myself, with EVERYONE CITING THE FCC'S OUTDATED RF RADIATION GUIDELINES. I had to learn all I could about this to protect my health and theirs. I've had to turn my home, where I have lived for 28 years, into an EMF-safe house (until I sell it), as well as my barn, which is surrounded by EMF material and protection. My bed is covered with EMF protection as well due to the radiation levels in my home. I now have to wear protective clothing all day. Leaving my safe area means becoming exposed due to the unbridled towers around me. I am a very private person. This is not easy to share, but if I do not ask for help now, many more innocent people will be sick, or they will die like my neighbors, my friends, and my animals. Since the towers went live, six of my horses have died instantly under the towers. All of my little animals have died. My 200-pound tortoises started going blind. I'm not sure where the daily radiation exposure will take me, so I thought now is the best time to ask for your help in making a change. THE FCC MUST REGULATE THE RADIATION, OR THE DEATH & DESTRUCTION WILL NEVER END. Technology is safe only if it is REGULATED. Always, Shari Champagne

1. Who I am professionally: I am a licensed professional counselor and life coach practicing in Texas, mostly in DFW area. More EMF in multifamily residences. I lived in Ft Worth for 16 years and relocated to Dallas in 2025. I have rented an apartment in both cities rather than owned or rented a home. This is important to mention because from my personal apartment, I have been within range of as many as 25 other residents’ Wi-Fi sources. Which means I have been within range of the effects of the EMF from their wireless devices. My experience in the Ft Worth apartment homes was with high magnetic EMF and somewhat lower RF inside my unit. The most significant measurements for EMF are from my current apartment home in Dallas. At my current apartment, there are 11 smart meters located approximately 6 ft. from my bed mounted on the outside wall of the building and located outside the bedroom of the unit directly below me. The measured RF in my bedroom is higher than I’ve ever lived with before. They range from 600-1500 uW/m2 at the level of the bed and 400-4,000 uW/m2 at the level of the floor. Both of these values register either in the severe or extreme range for frequencies recommended for sleeping areas. The highest levels are in the living area. They range from 19,000 uW/m2 – 40,000 uW/m2 and are located over the location of the wi-fi device in the unit below mine. Other averages in the unit are from 400-24,000 in the living/dining areas. 2. What I have observed and experienced physically: First, I want to state that I have prioritized my health since I was 13 years old. Committed to exercise, healthy diet, outdoor activities, good choices for indoor activities, friendships, etc. I’ve lived a healthy life. I’ve had no need for regular prescription medications other than an occasional antibiotic when I was in my teens. I’ve been fortunate to sleep well, feel energized and motivated, and live a healthy mental/emotional life. Since the jump to 4G and especially 5G, and in the residences I’ve been living in, I’ve experienced the following: • Sleep disturbance • Anxiety (never before in my life had I experienced anxiety) • Restlessness • Cognitive slowing that is more noticeable when I’m home a lot. • Appetite reduction and general decline in interest for food. • Increases in cholesterol readings, A1C (even though I Never eat sugar foods), and unwanted weight loss. These are VERY unusual for me. 3. What I have observed professionally: My practice has focused and worked primarily with high-functioning adults, many of which are professionals. They range in age from 30-55. Most of them are committed to their physical, emotional, and mental health beyond that of the average person. My exposure to adults of all ages in a wide range of life stages and demographics offers me the opportunity to NOTICE common frequent signals that inform me about my clients and perhaps the population in general. Most of the clients that have reported the experiences below have also reported that they seem similar patterns in their friends and family. They recognize these in themselves and also in those around them. Since 2022, I’ve witnessed clients presenting with: greater sleep disturbances increase in relationship challenges and less ability to understand each other profound anxiety increase—prevalent throughout my practice greater sense of entitlement difficulty including the needs of others increased need for somatic calming exercises but less ability to remember them. I’ve also witnessed and observed more: mood impulsivity/less ability to self-regulate emotionally less memory about the previous session (even when it was the prior week) less ability to organize information and create structure for themselves I anticipate that the COVID shutdown precipitated/contributed to some of these, but even after the pandemic was over and people had been back to a normal schedule for some time, these observations have continued to escalate—more and more prevalently. What I observe in the youngest people: My exposure to the youngest of our population is not as frequent as with adults. What I’ve witnessed is a lack of or significant reduction of social skills. Play is impacted by lessened creativity and lessened spontaneity. 4. Precautionary Approach I have no proof that EMF/RF is responsible for my clients’ changes in behavior, nor for the physical and mental changes I’ve experienced—other than the concurrent timing of them. However, facts about 5G is that it brings wider frequency channels, more information per wave, more antennas signaling individual devices, and more “small” cells creating “densification” which is clearly changing the experience of exposure at close range—in homes, workplaces, apartment buildings. I urge HHS to find ways to reduce EMF exposure to below existing limits NOW.

I have been aware of health risks from Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) and RF wireless radiation for many years. Here is a website that has a list of research links for your consideration: https://ehtrust.org/send-science-to-the-fcc-govt-is-asking-for-evidence-you-can-help-now/ Because I have been aware of the dangers, to the best of my ability, I have created a safe environment for my husband, our son, and I where I can better control the RF wireless radiation levels inside of our home. We do not have WIFI in our home and haven't for years. We have internet but we have it safely hard-wired. We kindly ask anyone entering our home to please turn off their Cellular Data, Bluetooth, and WIFI on their phones and tablets as my husband and I do the same. Rarely do we need to use the internet on our phones but if we do, we do it quickly and away from our son and then once we are done, we make sure to turn it back off, immediately. We have asked our neighbors to apply faraday cages on their digital meters and they gladly obliged. We take all these measures, and I could go on listing more, because we are aware of the dangers of exposure to EMF and other sources of RF wireless radiation. We do the best we can, to control what we can, knowing once we leave our house, it's a battle zone of cell towers, cell phones, wireless and digital “smart” utility meters, public Wi-Fi, and other sources of RF wireless radiation. The last thing I want on or around my home and my child is a cell tower or wireless smart meter. I am completely opposed to 2-way wireless "smart" utility meters, digital utility meters, and opt-out fees. Wireless smart meters are data collecting devices that were forced on Americans and they emit harmful radiation. I have participated and continue to participate in state and national campaigns asking for utility meter choice legislation. I have collected signatures of Ohioans opposed to these meters and have sent them to state lawmakers. Here is a link for a national campaign for utility meter choice legislation: https://childrenshealthdefense.org/community-forum/support-utility-meter-choice/ I have filed several complaints already about smart and digital meters with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) to only be ignored. I do not like the wireless smart meter "opt out" option that we currently are offered because it cancels our own rights when we do so. With this option, we’ve had to AGREE to ALLOW utility providers and unknown 3rd party companies, to violate our constitutional rights – so we are legally consenting to being violated. Why should my "option" (opt out) be coercion to violate my own rights? That doesn't seem like an option to me. I have sent the CEO of my gas and electric utility provider, AES an Affidavit of Truth stating many points of intent to harm and multiple violations to my rights and I’ve received no rebuttal. Because I received no rebuttal, my affidavit stands as truth. Listed in the affidavit are my constitutional rights that have the potential to be violated, if I am forced against my will, into a smart or digital meter. I know my family’s health will 100% be affected by these types of meters. It’s not a matter of IF, but WHEN, we will be sick as long as we have it, being forever. We want old-fashioned analog meters but we have been forced to settle for digital meters (for which we pay opt-out fees) which are safer than smart meters but still not as safe as analog meters. Over 1,000 peer-reviewed scientific studies have demonstrated serious adverse health effects from the wireless radiation coming from cell phones, cell towers, and the "smart" meters radiating our homes and other buildings 24/7. This includes DNA damage, infertility and reproductive damage, cardiac effects and arrest, neurological conditions (anxiety, depression, Alzheimer's), immune system dysfunction, and even cancer. The FCC was sued in 2021 for failing to update their safety guidelines for human exposure limits that were established in 1996 when we were using 2G wireless technologies, not the 4G and 5G we have today. The lawsuit was successful, but all these years later the FCC still has not responded to the courts and is refusing to regulate the Telecoms. The reality is NO ONE is measuring our cumulative daily human exposure of EMF “electro smog” coming from all of our current sources of wireless radiation including 4G/5G “mega” towers, 5G small cells, and the EMF pulsing Smart meters attached to our homes. https://ehtrust.org/in-historic-decision-federal-court-finds-fcc-failed-to-explain-why-it-ignored-scientific-evidence-showing-harm-from-wireless-radiation/ I ask that HHS make more Americans aware of risks from wireless devices and infrastructure so they can create healthier homes and communities for their families too. Thank you for accepting my comment.

Declaration of Heidi Brenneman: I reside in Lewis County, Washington. I did not consent, nor do I consent today, to the continuous, involuntary exposure to pulsed modulated, biologically active electrical and radiofrequency / microwave (RF/MW) radiation. The health effects of such have been widely studied by government agencies including from the US Navy in 1972 and by thousands of scientists worldwide. You need only look so far as the International Appeal to Stop 5G on Earth and in Space which was signed by over 24,000 professionals demanding a response to what can only be called a crisis brought on by lack of proper public policy on wireless technology. Dr Martin Pall, Professor Emeritus from Washington State University, has studied the effects of RF on the body. His work shows that RF radiation causes oxidative stress and leads to the depletion of glutathione which is critical in melatonin production. His overall assessment is that the damages caused by RF radiation are causing a tidal wave of dementia which we are seeing at earlier and earlier ages. I lost my mother, my mother-in-law, my 64 year old sister-in-law, two uncles and now my own husband is in Stage 5 early onset Alzheimers at age 67. This is not genetic. My father died in 2017. He had spent his last few years unable to sleep. My Mom's memory started failing in the early 2010's. I believe both my parents suffered from the installation of a smart meter as neither had a cell phone and they did not have wifi. As a normal consumer and well educated professional, I did not have any clue that the tech I was using in my work and personal life could be harmful. In 2010, the time of the installation of the smart meter on my home in Oregon, I became unable to sleep and became extremely anxious and depressed. These are symptoms caused by exposure to pulsed radiofrequency radiation. I'd get what felt like restless leg syndrome but all over my body. It turns out that response was from an increasing sensitivity to all electronics. The trigger was the new smart meter. At the time, I did not know what was causing my symptoms. I went to my doctor and sought treatment. I'm now on SSDI. I spent two years trying to treat a mental health condition that only existed as the result of the exposure to EMF to which I'd become increasingly sensitive. And the medication could not help an ongoing toxic exposure. It was adding another biological insult to one of the very systems that's electrical in nature and that's damaged by EMF exposure - the nervous system. By 2015, I'd lost the ability to read more than a few paragraphs and I struggled to write my own name. The fatigue was so bad that when I went shopping for groceries, I had to hold onto the cart just to get around the store. At age 46, I had people stop me and ask if I was OK. Any stress resulted in extreme outbursts as EMF exposure symptoms include irritability which isn't surprising because when your body is under constant assault, you are in a high cortisol state. In 2017, we moved to a rural community where I thought I'd be safe. We had no wireless devices. The smart meter was only the kind that could be read once a month by a truck when they drove by taking readings. My health improved. But in 2024, the meters were changed to a constantly pulsing type and my health became absolutely devastated once again. I became unable to leave my home. After a few months, we removed the meter but the damage was done. I'd become so sensitive to all EMF fields, I could no longer tolerate my own home. I moved my old motorhome to my pasture where I measured the lowest fields (RF, AC and magnetic) and I lived out there without running water and with little electricity. After several months, I made the difficult decision to move again which meant packing all of our belongings by myself as my husband could not remember if he was packing or unpacking a box. The process of even looking for another home was so brutal, I had to be helped out of many homes. Because every county surrounding me had moved to smart meters for power, I could not properly evaluate other fields. I finally gambled and settled. Here we pay $35/month for the privilege to not be irradiated by our meter. I still often sleep in the motorhome. My symptoms include burning sensations, screen dermatitis, dizziness, heart palpitations, chronic insomnia, cognitive fog, extreme fatigue, irritability and an inability to concentrate. I have debilitating digestive issues I believe are being caused by over exposure when I do try to live like a normal human being. Everyone including Social Security is now requiring a cell phone for identity verification to access services online. I find it repulsive to have to pay for the technology that's destroying everything I love including me. Technology that is offensive biologically and disabling to a human being should not be a mandatory exposure by design of our infrastructure.

See attached file(s I have been injured by all of the wireless devices starting with the roll out of smart meters in Illinois. You all need to update the safety levels - I was forced to move out of Illinois because your department has failed in keeping up to date with safe wireless frequencies levels. I have been under the care of a medical specialist for years. I can no longer fly on an airplane, or live a normal life - cannot even own a new car with all of the WIFI and other wireless devices. It is a shame that as an American born free citizen I cannot live free in America because of the low levels your department has set as safe. Please follow the Building Biologist guideline for safe level so I can live free again.

For a long time I have been wary of RF. I was a computer analyst at a giant radar site. There I sensed and learned about the adverse effects of this kind of energy. Later on, AT&T tried to put a cell tower into my neighborhood. It was frightening to a majority of us who chose to live ina rural community. In the end the tower did not get installed. However, PG&E placed smart meters o our homes without our permission. We just want to live without so much pollution and protect our neighborhood, its wildlife and forest. We don’t need it! We don’t want it!

I know I am affected by EMF and even dirty electricity. As I sit to type this message my head is affected by all of it as I sit at the computer. It gives me a headache which is more described as a heavy feeling like I have been hit with a baseball bat. I really notice it when I leave the computer and even my balance is affected. It takes 30 minutes or more to get over the worst of it but it lingers longer. I think it affects me physically even when I do not notice as your cells are changed in the way they function. I have replaced my smart meter and pay monthly fees for analog type meter. I sleep in a shielded canopy over my bed to reduce exposure from neighbors equipment and their WIFI. I do feel taking these precautions has helped me recover from where I was before I detected that this radiation was causing my symptoms of fatigue and balance issues. I often feel affected at parks and taking walks since because of cell towers and the dirty electricity traveling under the ground . I am most concerned for the children who are growing up staring at the blue light screens and being exposed to all the WIFI in the schools and at home. It is sad to see there are people who care more for profit than the health of people. These children are going to grow up with many health problems. I am actually fortunate that I feel how it affects me but it also affects the whole population even tho they can not feel it yet. It surely is a contributor to this countries poor health. Please care more for the health of people and not profit. Thank you, Karen

I am a Doctor of Physical Therapy and I live in Longmont, Colorado. The majority of patients I see in my clinical practice (outpatient practice for complex / chronic pain) demonstrate EMF toxicity symptoms; I have observed a substantial increase in these symptoms across my patient population especially within the past year, and significantly since about 2020. There has been an increase in installed towers which emit frequencies in ranges harmful to life, including bees, tress, birds, insects, and humans. Patients also report that they experienced a significant change in symptomology once a smart meter was installed on their home in 2022-2023. I recommend a building biologist to my patients who find that mitigation sometimes helps but does not totally improve symptoms, is costly, and for most overwhelming. Even an opt-out AMI meter results in harmful, measurable frequencies in the Kilohertz range within the home, within 3 feet of every electrical outlet. I have confirmed this myself and through investigation with a number of building biologists locally. Symptoms of EMF toxicity I see daily in my patients include but are not limited to: - Headaches - Migraines - Brain Fog - Neck pain - Nausea - Sensation of buzzing in the body - Worsening of other symptoms of toxicity burdens such as heavy metal toxicity, mold / mycotoxin toxicity, chronic lyme, chronic borrellia, babesia, erlichia (for example, it was rather straightforward to treat these from a functional medicine perspective prior to 2020, and now has become increasingly more challenging to get patients into remission from these conditions) - Chronic inflammatory response syndrome - Mast Cell Activation Syndrome - chronic pain and many other symptoms. We need to more deeply understand the types of waves that are emitted from all forms of electromagnetic fields, radiofrequency radiation, and wireless radiation coming from: Cellphones 5G Towers WiFi Routers Any cell towers Smart Meters on homes and businesses and the KHz effects that are measureable, pulsing, up to 3 feet into the room from each electrical outlet, even when someone has an "opt-out" AMI meter Smart appliances including washer/dryer, dishwasher, etc. I hope you investigate and establish more deeply and with greater sensitivity the ranges that are considered safe. Compare findings with other countries which have already established standards that are more supportive of human health. And then please hold our electrical companies (which in so many cases, installed Smart Meters without consent or even without awareness of the citizens) accountable for the harms done. Understand that all humans are different, and all bodies may respond differently to different inputs. We need to protect our most sensitive / challenged members of society, listen to and trust their symptomology, and understand that they serve as canaries in the coal mine. Thank you