Smart meters

My name is Mana Washio, and I currently live inSpringfield, MA. I became EHS in 2013, when my husband and I lived in Watertown, MA. While we were on vacation, NSTAR came and installed a bank of infamous Smart Meters. Our bedroom was surrounded by them, and there were also two circuit breaker panels underneath our bedroom (because we lived on the 1st floor). We also had a WiFi router in our bedroom, without knowing its harm. Immediately after the Smart Meter installation, I started having piercing headaches, as if someone was inserting an ice pick into my brain. It was SO bad, I could not sleep at all. I also developed all sorts of GI issues, heart palpitation, chest pain, concentration difficulties, and so on. My symptoms subsided when I went away from my home, and it became worse when I came home. I also felt VERY strong pain standing right in front of the Smart Meters outside, so I knew what was causing the problem. EHS diagnosis was extremely difficult to attain, because there are VERY few doctors who could diagnose. I was only able to get one in 2022, after moving to RI. I was a performing musician for many years, but large concert venues where people gather with their cell phones became the hardest place to work. I was forced to completely switch my career, and now I work from home as a Health Coach & a Reiki practitioner. Although I love my current job, I had to start all over and had completely different training before I was able to start making decent salary. In July 2023, I took the National Board Exam for Health and Wellness Coaching. 3 years ago in 2020, I actually took the same exam but miserably failed, due to the severe short-term memory and vision issues I developed due to the high EMF exposure at the test site. Even though I had requested, I was not given any accommodations I needed. So I forced myself to go into the test center. In 2023, I submitted the accommodation request again, along with the formal EHS diagnosis from MD and two supporting letters. I also explained what happened to me 3 years ago. But they did not give me the necessary accommodations right away. My accommodation request was only granted after I wrote the 3rd letter to them, quoting directly from the Department of Justice website, under the “Exams and Courses” section for people with disability. After the approval, I was finally able to bring in a few EMF shielding materials. Thankfully, my short-term memory and vision were intact this time, and I passed the exam. It is VERY clear that the EMF safety standards set by FCC is grossly outdated and inadequate. I strongly urge FCC to immediately review the current safety standards, and truly reflect the harms of these manmade radiation. There are THOUSANDS of published, peer-reviewed scientific studies from independent scientists (who have NO monetary ties with the industry) that clearly show EMF's biological harm, and FCC simply cannot continue to ignore the significant impact it has already made to people, animals and environment.

Thank you for looking more carefully at the effects of EM radiation on humans and other living things. I have not suffered a serious injury, but I want to submit a comment to support efforts for more research and regulation. I am sensitive to EMF, so I do not own a cell phone and I do not use wi-fi in my house. Our laptops are wired. When I hold an iPad or cell phone with an active signal, it causes pain in my hands, so I am inclined to shift it from one to the other like a hot potato. My daughter did a science project where she grew seedlings directly inside the wall from our electric company smart meter, and also at a location in the same room as far from the meter as possible. The seedlings backed against the meter were very noticeably stunted compared to the ones grown at a distance. Because my husband was working right next to the smart meter, we decided it was worth $30/month to have a meter that does not send out a pulse every few seconds. It does seem that he became less easily angered and irritated after the meter was removed - which of course is highly anecdotal - but maybe you will hear the same kind of thing from others so it can be a drop in the bucket.

I suffered toxic exposure and have genetic predisposition to issues with processing toxins. Post exposures I became severely hypersensitive to EMF, wifi, and especially smart meters. Utility company used to provide opt out for smart meters but without notifying members who opt out, just cancelled the right to opt out. (California requires opt out, many states offer it including the main Colorado utility, but United Power in Colorado is the one refusing to allow disabled people to opt out anymore - effectively making it untenable for them to stay in homes they worked hard to make safe. I have serious conditions and reactions and a clear before/after. Once the body is overloaded, exposures to EMF etc become devastating physically. Please contact me for more info and regulate these industries. How long did we have to wait for cigarette regulation, then cell phones and kids, at the very least we should be allowed the right to choose and live with the accomodations we need. Jill Iwaskow jiwaskow@gmail.com

I am submitting this comment in response to HHS’s Request for Information on Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs), Radiofrequency (RF) Radiation, and Wireless Radiation Exposure. I am responding from the perspective of myself, Marlene Schmidt . I first noticed Electro Hypersensitivity symptoms in 1992 as I was driving by high towers . I experienced excruciating leg pain. The pain would get much worse. I would get brain fog and anxiety . Smart meters in 2012 caused similar symptoms. Smart meters in 2012 caused similar symptoms. I get a sensation of head swelling , brain fog, pins and needles, headache, my balance is off and and I get weak if I spend too much time under high tension wires or near cell towers. These exposures to RF radiation as well as Multiple Chemical Sensitivities that i am diagnosed with overlap to cause adverse symptoms such as motor skills, and speech disruption, headaches that can be debilitating, arthralgias, toxic encepalopathy, increased inflammation, fluctuating pulse and blood pressure, disruption in vision, and various types of pain of various nature, which RF radiation is known to contribute to. The degree of the exposure will determine the severity of the symptoms, and the breadth of the reactions. This disability affects every aspect of my life because I am unable to use cell phones , which produce the same symptoms as above. I have to hard wire my computor with a ethernet cord for protection against EMF . Since the government is installing cell towers every 2 miles it makes it very difficult to avoid radiation from them. I do use certain devices to try to shield myself which helps a little bit . I opt out of the smart meters as you can do that in Arizona . I have been diagnosed by Doctors in the above symptoms. I do feel much better when not exposed to RF, Smart meters, EMF , etc. One time where I uses to live in Northern California , a storm came in and knocked down the electric for 5 days and I did not have any pain and slept 8 hours straight and virtually all symptoms vanished , which shows me how much these electric fields plays big part in our bodies that produce illness in our bodies. I urge HHS to carefully evaluate these experiences and the scientific evidence, identify gaps in current research, give particular attention to children and other potentially vulnerable populations, and establish appropriate federal research priorities regarding wireless radiation and public health. Thank you for providing individuals and families with an opportunity to be heard.

I am submitting this comment in response to HHS’s Request for Information on Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs), Radiofrequency (RF) Radiation, and Wireless Radiation Exposure. I am responding from the perspective of a family member. Upon moving into our new home, the smart electric meter is located on the outside wall of my house opposite where I sleep and have my work desk. I noticed over the course of a few months that I wasn't sleeping as well, a constant ringing in the ears (louder and more often than Tinnitus that I have) and getting daily headaches. I ruled out physical health reasons and did some research into Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs), Radiofrequency (RF) Radiation, and Wireless Radiation Exposure. I then took precautions into my own hands; for one, using a copper layer on the inside wall of the house to shield me from the radiation. Within less than a week, my symptoms lessened and went away. If these somewhat minor health effects are happening to a full grown adult, what harm will it be doing to a small child?

My family and I were all injured by a 5G frequency cell tower installed in Fall 2021, we had multiple debilitating health conditions until we discovered the root of the problem. We removed ourselves from the situation, and we're all left with EMR-S, (electromagnetic radiation sensitivity syndrome), which has changed our lives. We can no longer work, socialize, do fun things we used to, eat out, be near lots of people, family members shun us and don't believe us, people don't take us seriously and much more. There should be in place accommodations for our disability, so we don't have to fight continuous uphill battles with systems just so we can live our lives in safety and comfort like we used to, because we're surrounded by cell towers, 5G minis, routers, phones, smart meters, etc. I should be able to opt out of my smart electric and gas meters, but the utility companies are ready to fight and ridicule, not help or assist with this disability they dismiss. My life is not the same. It should be the government's job to protect us, and give us injured sensitives rights so we can live normal lives again, especially when it's both government and private entities making money off the cell service, however at peoples' health costs. Me, my wife, and both my kids and mother in law, will never be the same because we can't do the same things we used to in life. We would like to be heard. We want protection and support. Stop putting up cell towers everywhere, and start accommodating to those who have been injured.

In 2010 I got completely handycapped by EHS - electro-hyper-sensitivity. I had been using my cell phone everyday for a couple of years and all of a sudden I could not hold it in my hand anymore. It felt awfull in the body as if I couldn't be in my own body. The only thing that helped was to run away from all wireless radiation - be it cell phones, cell towers, baby alarms, wireless routers or computers etc. At the same time I got allergic to low-frequency electro-magnetic fields like what comes from the electrical grid in houses, from electric lamps - anything electric. I fled out in a forest nearby living in a tent for ½ year until the winter came. I got help from my community, who shopped for me, sent my letters and did everything for me. I could not enter my surrounding society, could not shop, could not even speak on my landline telephone or listen to a radio. When the snow fell I got help to move into an old caravan for the next 2 years. The caravan never could be heated more than up to 12-16 degrees celsius during the winter, and all that time people helped with everything I needed. I could not even walk on the open roads in the landscape if electrical wires were dug down in the ground or hung close to the road. I did not visit my daughters family with her husband and my three grand children for 14 years. I used to visit them many times and often before and kept a relationship with the kids that way. The youngest did not know me when he was small and grew up - I was just an old lady the family came to visit a few times a year. After 2½ years in tent and caravan a mirical happened and I found a house I could stay inside in, in my village. I have lived in this house since, but 2 years ago a cell tower was raised 600 meters away from the village. I could measure and feel the radiation inside the house, and had to isolate the house with a steelnet on the walls and in the roof in order to keep living here. Before the protection went up my health deteriorated, my memory declined rapidly and the digestion system went hay-wire for several months, and my body shivered deep inside constantly. I have kept away from all wireless devices and people carrying smart devices on them for all these years, and maybe that is why the EHS has gotten a little less now and I can go outside and see people - I always wear protective clothing when I go outside. Getting ill from radiation takes your life away, - your income, your family, your living space, your friends - everything ! I know many people over the years, who has had to flee from their living quarters, houses, apartments and jobs and who end up in summerhouses in areas where they know no one in the neighbourhood. Being disconnected from your family - many get divorced eventually - , and your income is physically and mentally disabling. You live alone on the run for many years and don't know when it will ever stop. Most houses have wireless smart-meters and makes it impossible to live in the close surroundings from the smarts-meters which radiate far and wide. Thousands of peer reviewed scientific papers have been written over the years, showing how it causes cancer tumors to develope in the brain and many other illnesses. But powerful organisations manage to keep that knowledge from the mainstream news. It is devastating to be a victim to wireless radiation.

Who signed off on approving these 5G towers everywhere anyway? The proof is out that they’re dangerous right along with smart meters that the power companies (Gulf Power when it was done but now FPL) put on our houses without consent! Do something!

1. & 2. I am responding as: an individual 3a. Type of wireless or RF/EMF sources involved (e.g., mobile phones, Wi-Fi, smart meters…)mobile phone and SMART meter 3b. Nature, duration, frequency, and approximate timing (e.g., years):years, not certain exact length of time as I avoid using a cell phone 3c. Adverse health effect(s) experienced:my left ear is painful when I try to use my cell phone on that side. 3d. Time from first exposure to first appearance of adverse health effects; and did a change in exposure coincide with the onset of adverse effects:I know that in 2012 when a SMART electric meter was installed on my prior home, I had sudden-onset tinnitus which never went away. I also experienced abrupt sleep interruption at 1 am, 2 am, 3am most nights. The meter was on the outside of my bedroom wall about 10 feet from my head while in bed. 3e. Was medical evaluation or treatment sought? (Optionally:) Was there a diagnosis?No medical help sought. No diagnosis. 3f. Were steps taken to reduce or eliminate exposure, and were there subsequent changes in the effects?For today I minimize cell phone use and when I do use it hold it on the right side to prevent the discomfort/pain. In 2012 I put aluminum foil on the inside wall of the bedroom on the meter side. Holding the cell phone on the non-affected side is the only way I can use a cell phone for verbal. The aluminum foil on the wall was in place for years, it may have helped. 3g. Any supporting documentation? This includes Scientific Reports, exposure measurements, or other relevant information:Many studies exist but studies warning of harms are not accepted by the decision-makers. Only studies that are favorable to industry seem accepted. But try listening to AM radio nowadays-during the night it is not possible to hear most stations for the multiple interferences of RF waves. Even FM radio transmission is poor, especially during the night hours. And while traveling, you drive into heavy fields of EMF audible on the car radio. Additional Details you would like to share about your experiences of adverse health effects you believe to be associated with exposure to wireless radiation or EMF's:I believe the many exposures and increasing exposures are causing all kinds of issues that decrease quality of life. B1a. Sources you experience as causing you Adverse Effects:Cell phones. B1b. Sources you can sense, but don't seem to harm you: B1c. Sources you can use without sensing or being harmed:Hair dryers, toasters, microwave oven, refrigerator, LED lights, electric heaters, heating pads, televisions, humidifiers, wi-fi (I have it turn off using a timer from midnight to 8 am). B1d. Sources that seem to provide benefit (i.e., electrotherapy):The many uses of the technology has benefits. B2a. Health conditions you think may contribute to your sensitivity to EMFs including wireless:Tinnitus (both a constant sound of high-pitched ringing in head as well as a painful tap tap tap in eardrum when holding cell phone on or near right ear); tiredness; eyes vibrating (can see that vision is affected by tight vibration of eye once in a while). B2b. Health conditions you don't necessarily associate with your sensitivity to EMFs including wireless, but might be relevant: B3. For each subquestion please list up to 5 drugs or therapies or home remedies (if any) B3a. That you recommend, as they helped you tolerate or recover from EMF exposure:Distance from SMART meters (although electro-magnetic frequencies can and do travel on house wiring). B3b. That you recommend, but you’re not positive that they help:My house has Romex type wiring but I think house wiring should be enclosed in a metal conduit rather than the Romex wiring in use in most housing built in the United States. B3c. That helped you but you don’t recommend. (e.g., the benefit did not last long or the side effects were too harmful): B3d. Treatments that had no effect: B3e. Treatments that made your sensitivity worse:65-74 B4. What is your age range?65-74 B5. What year did you become aware of your sensitivity to wireless radiation or electromagnetic fields?2012 B6. What country, state, province, or major city were you living in when you first noticed your sensitivity to wireless or electromagnetic fields?Living in San Diego, CA, 92102 zipcode from 1989 when I purchased the house to 2017 when I sold it and moved to Julian, CA 92036 where I presently reside.

I have been affected my smart meters, close proximity of cell towers, and Wi-Fi. Gas company moved a meter on the back side of my house to the front side less than 1 /12 feet from the head of my bed. They installed a smart meter (I had NO SAY in this). I started waking up for no reason and had difficulty getting back to sleep; unexplained nose bleeds; and a digestive condition started causing me problems at night when it normally calms down! I consulted with an EMF expert, and she immediately found the issue. I have spent $100s (including expert's fee) on blocking material, etc. I contacted engineer at Cascade Natural Gas, and he gave me the typical smart meter "no problem" song and dance. Luckily, I don't run Wi-Fi in my house since I had all connections hard wired. Wi-Fi in hotels and other lodging has cause same issues (primarily sleep). When I am staying in motels, etc. I turn off or unplug (if possible) wi-fi routers etc. I have purchased various personal shielding (again several $100s) that I use when sleeping in motel, etc. I have friends that are more sensitive than I am!! I implore the HHS to take action on these issues! Affects are REAL!