Smart meters

To Whom It May Concern: I submit this comment as a concerned citizen and well-being advocate who spent more than two years helping a community member seek the right to retain an analog utility meter rather than being required to accept a wireless smart meter. At the start of this journey, I knew very little about electromagnetic fields (EMF), radiofrequency radiation (RF), smart meters, or electromagnetic sensitivity. However, through extensive research, conversations with physicians, researchers, engineers, and affected individuals across the country, I became convinced that these issues deserve far greater public health attention. Over the course of my advocacy, I reviewed scientific literature, books, articles, utility documents, and health reports. I also met many individuals who reported symptoms they associated with EMF and RF exposure, including sleep disturbances, anxiety, headaches, cognitive difficulties, fatigue, neurological symptoms, and cardiovascular concerns. I leaned upon well-respected organizations in the U.S. who are helping to advocate on these issues. While correlation does not prove causation, the consistency of these reports should not be dismissed and warrants serious, independent investigation. One area that particularly concerns me is the potential overlap between EMF-related symptoms and conditions commonly classified as mental health disorders. Although I am not a physician, I believe researchers should examine whether environmental electromagnetic exposures may cause, contribute, or exacerbate symptoms associated with anxiety, depression, attention disorders, and other neurological/behavioral conditions. Millions of Americans suffer from these disorders. We should ask whether some portion of these cases may have physiological contributors that remain insufficiently explored. I also believe additional research is needed regarding "dirty electricity," voltage transients, and the cumulative effects of chronic exposure to artificial electromagnetic environments. As technology becomes more embedded in daily life, public health research should keep pace. My advocacy effort resulted in a successful outcome, allowing the resident to keep an analog meter. More importantly, it highlighted a broader issue that could impact nearly 40,000 people in the community. Consumers should have the right to make informed choices about technologies placed on or near their homes, regardless of whether they qualify under disability laws. I am particularly troubled by utility policies that require customers to pay ongoing monthly fees to retain an analog meter. Such charges can create a financial penalty for exercising personal choice regarding health and safety concerns. These policies deserve regulatory review to ensure they are fair, transparent, and justified. In the course of this work, I encountered people who believed they experienced health challenges associated with long-term occupational or environmental EMF exposure. These experiences included cancer diagnoses, neurological symptoms, and cardiovascular concerns among individuals regularly exposed to radios, electrical equipment, wireless infrastructure, or other sources of electromagnetic radiation. These accounts are anecdotal and do not establish causation, but they reinforce the need for independent long-term research. I am also concerned about potential environmental impacts. Reports regarding pollinator health, including bee navigation and colony health, deserve thorough scientific examination. Given the importance of pollinators to agriculture and food security, even the possibility of adverse effects should be investigated. Likewise, the rapid expansion of wireless infrastructure, smart devices, connected vehicles, and large data centers raises important questions about cumulative environmental and human exposure. At a minimum, the public deserves transparency and informed consent. Consumers should receive clear information regarding the electromagnetic emissions associated with products and technologies they are asked to use. Public health agencies should support independent research, encourage open scientific inquiry, and ensure that innovation does not outpace safety evaluation. I respectfully urge HHS to prioritize research into the potential effects of EMF, RF radiation, and electrical pollution; support studies involving vulnerable populations; evaluate possible links to neurological and mental health symptoms; assess environmental impacts; and protect consumer choice regarding utility metering and other technologies. History has shown that responsible public health policy requires investigating emerging concerns before they become established crises. The concerns surrounding EMF exposure deserve that same level of attention today. Respectfully, Concerned Citizen and Well-Being Advocate

Thank you for taking the time to look into this important matter. I first began showing signs of EMF sensitivity back in 2015. My physical, mental, and emotional health is negatively impacted by the ever increasing EMFs that I do not have any control over. The house I am living in has the internet hardwired, but I cannot control what neighbors do. I believe I should be able to live in a suburban neighborhood without being immersed in EMFs. I am especially negatively impacted by smart meters and specifically fiber WiFi internet and WiFi in general. I purposely do not have 5G on my cell phone and use Bluetooth sparingly. When I am in an environment with fiber WiFi internet, my sleep is affected. I don’t sleep as deeply and I have to sleep for longer periods of time to be somewhat functional day to day. I also have nerve pain in my legs that fluctuates in severity when around these sources. I believe EMFs can contribute to nervous system dysregulation in certain individuals, myself included. I believe the increasing EMFs can put the body in a chronic sympathetic (fight or flight) state. This condition has impacted my ability to work and I have been mentally institutionalized multiple times for having to live with this condition. I am asking for there to be some regulations in how this technology is implemented. We are living in a time where EMFs are only increasing to levels never before experienced with no real consideration on what it is doing to mankind’s physical, mental, and emotional health. I am doing all that is in my power to lower the EMFs in my own home, but there should be limitations in how far these EMFs can travel from neighbors that are now directly impacting me. I ask that you will look into the harms of EMFs, especially the radio frequency radiation that comes from specifically fiber internet WiFi (and WiFi in general), smart meters, and Bluetooth and make changes. I thank you for your time and consideration in this matter.

I am a canine energetic behaviorist specializing in rehabilitating highly sensitive reactive dogs. I am concerned about the potential effects of electromagnetic exposure on animals and the environments in which they live and learn. Unlike humans, animals cannot understand these technologies, voice informed concerns, or choose to leave their environments. Many pet owners and animal professionals may not be aware of these potential concerns. I am submitting my observations to advocate for greater transparency, independent research, and the protection of animals who depend on us for their welfare. And for my own sensitivities. El Paso Electric installed an Itron smart meter on my building in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Before its removal, I documented readings using a GQ EMF-390 radiation detector from GQ Electronics LLC in Seattle, Washington. In two separate videos, the displayed readings spike to 84mW/m² and 781, respectively, with the spikes occurring approximately every three seconds before dissipating. According to the 390 detector's manufacturer's guidelines suggested RF readings are: Less than 10mW/m² considered safe, Above 10mW/m² warrant regular checking, readings above 1000mW/m² are not recommended for prolonged stays, and readings above 10,000 mW/m² warrant avoiding prolonged stays. As seen in video the EMF, & (AC)EF readings are also shown. I cannot establish whether the meter affected the dog's behavior during the few classes that we had while the meter was installed. I believe dogs can be relatively compared to children. Reactivity has many potential contributing factors, including diet, environmental conditions, and the emotional state of their handlers. I have personally experienced sensitivity when my Wi-Fi router is operating, which is part of my concern about electromagnetic exposure. After repeatedly requesting three or four independent research studies demonstrating the safety of the installation from CEO Kelly Tomblin, I've received no response, I submitted a written addendum raising the possibility of legal action if the meter was not removed. The meter was subsequently removed. I am also concerned that public awareness of this request for comments has been inadequate, leaving many people unaware of the opportunity to participate. Personal experience has been everybody I have spoken to had no idea you were requesting input. I believe this issue deserved much wider public notice, including outreach through schools. I respectfully hope greater transparency, independent research, and meaningful public participation in evaluating potential health risks associated with electromagnetic exposures. I will submit the century link router reading video separately and provide the corresponding readings in a separate comment. Blessings to all who are helping to bring transparency & true safety to our American people, animals, & Earth. I hope it won't take another 5 years of continuing to use American people for guinea pigs to put adequate safety standards on electronic going out. The videos were too large so I posted them to YouTube and here are the links. If you know of another way for me to send them I can do so but please call me for that or text me.(575)635-9888 1:02'Smart Meter Readings https://youtube.com/shorts/qPphHc_jSmo?is=B3guQrBsOOOTtxoE .14 Smart Meter Readings https://youtube.com/shorts/ZXWOLyas8jQ?is=cj2zqtYXb3yG-8g2 .34 Smart Meter Readings https://youtube.com/shorts/YljSYGUZOeA?feature=share Miss April Nastasi www.change.org/GrumpyDogSupport Ps. Even at the Mayo Clinic I could not have an EMS sensitivity test because my insurance doesn't pay for it. Thank you for cleaning up that mess as well.

I couldn’t get over how the utility wouldn’t remove something that was waking me up and known to be a contributor to my new health issues. Was there any compassion? They must have been annoyed with my pleas every other day. Did anyone care? The news outlets wouldn’t listen and just made fun of me. Attorneys that I spoke with had never heard of such a thing. Nobody had written a book on how to deal with this. It was similar to an episode of the Twilight Zone. After finding the “Milgram Experiment” I promptly took on the nickname for my handle in comments section in articles about sleep and health issues. Trying to get the information out about the smart meter. My day consisted of eating, sleeping, and research. I bought cases of paper and printed everything I could find to explain why this was happening to me. I went over to my parents house and asked them about waking up at this odd 3am hour and found that they too were experiencing the same. My mother had been experiencing migraines. Then I asked my sister who lived next door and she was also waking at the same time plus she was experiencing tinnitus. Next, was a brother down the street and then another brother across the street along with a sister far down the street and everyone was waking at the same time. I covered the neighborhood checking to see if anyone else was having the same problem. It took me two weeks to survey 38 homes and out of the 38, just 32 were experiencing waking up at the same time. I tried to be as nonbiased as possible asking “are you noticing recently waking up in the middle of the night?” All 32 said yes and some told me the exact time I was experiencing. Some wondered why their dogs would bark in the 3am hour. The six that hadn’t noticed a difference had always suffered from insomnia. It started off with noticing my hair falling out as it would drop on printed pages while reading the research papers. I found it easier to read hard copies rather than on a computer. That info can be found today at a website now called zoryglaser.com. The papers went everywhere with me and I couldn’t stop reading. They of course were showed to my friends and family to the point of burning everyone out. My brother-in-law is an MD and he told me that I should probably get my head checked out. So I gave him a stack of what I was reading and he didn’t look at any of it. The programming was real. As time went on my symptoms got worse as heart palpitations, tinnitus, eczema, IBS, acid reflux, leg cramps in the middle of the night, memory loss, bleeding gums, loose teeth, root canals, numbness in hands and sometimes face upon waking, blurry vision, depression, vertigo especially when waking up in the middle of the night set in. Weird dreams and nightmares were now common and I was exhausted not being able to sleep for more than just a couple of hours. I kept pleading with the utility and all they did was send me a box of CFL bulbs. Of course they were changed out to replace my safe incandescent bulbs not knowing that they were increasing my exposure drastically. The symptoms are ramping up. My skin is pale and pasty and I have dark circles around my eyes, the migraines are everyday, all day, and the tinnitus is getting worse and I’m seriously contemplating to just end it all. Fortunately I came across a website called justproveit.org. The message was to shut the power off to the whole house while sleeping. I had already tried wrapping the smart meter with aluminum foil and placing foil on the bedroom wall but that didn’t work. So I shut the power off and finally slept through the night for the first time in a few months feeling like I was a kid again with joy in my heart when waking. It was such a great feeling that I did it again. Wow! I thought this is really incredible stuff. Then I experienced a really big let down, one day soon after doing this experiment, I woke up feeling like garbage again. As I went out to the breaker box, to turn the breakers back on, I was surprised to see that I had forgot to shut the breakers off. This happened a couple more times and after those poor experiences the mistake didn’t happen often again. I bought a tent, mattress, and sleeping bag and headed up to the forest to sleep in nature. The feeling was a relief of stress and the tinnitus quieted but unfortunately I would have to return to the city the next day only to go through the misery again. There was a video on YouTube that showed an audible tone while measuring a smart meter. I slowed down the video and found the brand and bought an HF38B. It would be with me everywhere and turned on typically when my body felt stressed. At the time I was convinced it was all about wireless, but come to find out years later the wireless was not as bad as the supraharmonics exposure the smart meter and CFL bulbs were creating.

Rf-tinnitus induced at far below public exposure limits Smart meters are here provided as an example (among many possible) of unprotective rf exposure limits in Canada, US limits not dissimilar. A complaint to Toronto Hydro re tinnitus induced by their then fairly recently installed meters, led inter alia to dosimetry checks. This email is from correspondence had between utility reps and complainant (myself): ..................... From: ck872@sympatico.ca To: mmarchant@torontohydro.com Subject: RE: RF Metering Issues Date: Tue, 26 Jun 2012 14:58:10 +0000 fyi: doing spot testing now near various meters, starting with 59 Charleswood Dr, as usual & expected at 10:24 a.m. & 10:39 multiple spikes detected ....................... We became aware of the inadequacy of Canadian (and thus U.S.) purported safety limits years earlier. Here was a manifest example backed up by professional dosimetry. Note the exact times mentioned in the email. The utility hired a third party to conduct pro dosimetry on their meters. Their report was not made public. Alongside this 3rd party professional, a Canadian dosimetry professional of long experience performed dosimetry followed by public documentation of his findings. His report can be found at https://slt.co/Downloads/Events/1039/TorontoHydro-SLT-SmartMeterAssessment.pdf If the charts are examined on pages 12, 16 & 17 of the pdf, complete corroboration of my earlier report above is evidenced, in testing done at two locations. Incidence of reported tinnitus has dramatically increased in recent times as RF transmitters have become increasingly ubiquitous, not only smart meters. Smart meters may be particularly provocative of this symptom, in corroboration of A Frey's research decades ago when it was found sharper rf spikes were most provocative. However these transmitters are neither exclusively provocative among rf emitters, nor is tinnitus the exclusive symptom provoked. Far from it. I had told the utility I "heard" the meters on and off all day when awake at home in central Toronto. But particular times were regular all day, at 9, 24, 39, 54 minutes past every hour (as partly noted in the email above). The independent dosimetry report charts completely validate what I was reporting about symptoms timed to meters' emissions. Note that slt.co said in its report, "In the past two years, dozens of Toronto and surrounding residents have contacted Safe Living Technologies regarding adverse health effects immediately after the installation of a Smart Meter at their residence. Hence the reason for our interest in the RF / Microwave Radiation output of Smart Meters and our willingness to assist Toronto Hydro in this endeavour. See appendix C for possible health effects." Tinnitus, including as induced by manmade electromagnetic sources, can and does have severe impacts on human well-being. In the slt report, mention is made of alternative public exposure guidelines, qv. Daryl Vernon Kawartha Lakes, Ontario, Canada tel: 705 454 8451

I unwittingly had a SMART electricity meter fitted in an understairs cupboard in the centre of my home (I think it was 2017). I slept with my head six inches from it, only a plasterboard stud wall and my headboard in between. I suffered early morning headaches, nausea, tinnitus and disrupted sleep. In 2020, when we were locked down, I spent more time at home and my symptoms worsened drastically, I began feeling dizzy and sustained injuries from falling after losing my balance on several occassions. My skin itched constantly and I started to feel confused, brain fogged and disproportionately angry when exposed to mobile phones. In the last few months, using a mobile phone causes my heart to pound and my blood pressure to increase sharply, it's fine when I don't have any exposure. I'm not alone! My son, age 51, has also begun to feel symptoms, when exposed, he experiences chronic fatigue, bouts of unexplained anger and frustration, and becomes confused. I suffer from hypothyroidism, as do both of my next door neighbours on either side, who live with SMART meters in their homes. I have a good friend who has a cell tower adjacent to his house, he suffers more symptoms and I find the energy in his home so toxic that I cannot go in his house. I am SO VERY GRATEFUL to Secretary Kennedy for raising awareness on this issue, which I believe is causing suffering worldwide. Thank you!

As a science teacher in a middle school building, my body was continuously bombarded by RF (microwave) radiation from the 25 lap tops, wifi router, all the cell phones, blue tooth, and other wireless devices for many hours daily. No one was checking the cumulative amounts of the radiation over long periods of time. No one tells you about the harm; the non-thermal effects of the radiation. I would get blurry vision, headaches, body aches, heart palipatations... the wireless printer was directly behind my desk chair. When I sat at my computer my head and neck were only one foot away. In 2014 my carotid artery dissected and I was diagnosed with some rare connective tissue disorder. Maybe the radiation contributed to or exacerbated the condition. I left my job because I can not control the amount of radiation I am exposed to in the school building environment. In my house, I can choose to use hard wired connections, turn off wifi and other sources. Unfortunately, our government does not protect its citizens from the toxic bombardment of RF radiation. We are forced to have smart meters on our homes, and you allow tech companies to install cell towers and 5G antennas in our right-of-ways. I can also pick up the wi-fi routers of all of my neighbors and have no control over that. We need setbacks of at least 500 meters. We need to be able to opt out of smart meters and have analog meters re-installed. Companies need to use the lowest possible amount of radiation, not pump out massive dosages for better service. Please put better protective regulations in place! Sincerely, Margaret Lynch

My response is in reference to wireless technology, or RF/EMF sources, that include Wi-Fi, smart meters, and wireless infrastructure. I am a residential customer of the Northern California utility provider, Pacific Gas & Electric Company. The Smart Meter rollout in my city began in November of 2010. Having read various publications detailing some alarming concerns with various aspects of Smart Meter technology, I chose to defer installation and instead take advantage of the opt-out option and retain my original analog utility meters. I paid the $75.00 opt-out fee, as well as the recurring $10.00 monthly meter reading fee, which I believe was charged for a period of one or two years. From 2010 to 2024, I continued to enjoy trouble-free service from my two analog meters, which are attached to the exterior wall of my garage. In November of 2024, and without my consent, the utility replaced one of my meters, assuring me that the unit was not a Smart Meter. I'm assuming the utility declined to classify the meter as a Smart Meter due to disabling radio transmission function. Within one day of installation, each time I was near the new meter I experienced debilitating, dizzy spells, causing me to stumble and become disoriented, followed by fatigue and "brain fog." I also experienced dizziness and brain fog inside my home, requiring bed rest for a period of 2-3 hours after exposure. Since the utility had assured me that they had not installed a Smart Meter, I spent several months trying to find some physical reason that might explain the sudden onset of my symptoms. As a last resort, I decided to do some research on the Alcara digital meter that had been installed. To my dismay, I found that the digital meter replacement was in fact a Smart Meter. Even more troubling was the fact that my meter was replaced even though I had chosen to opt out, and had paid the additional fees to keep the analog meter. After enduring several months of dizzy spells, brain fog, shortness of breath, fatigue, heart palpitations, and inability to perform activities of daily living, I contacted the utility company and requested that the meter be replaced. After some persistence, the utility company agreed to remove the Smart Meter and replace it with the analog dial unit. After the meter was replaced, I experienced immediate relief of all symptoms. In addition to Smart utility meters, I experience uncomfortable and disabling effects from various other sources, as well. I become dizzy in various locations of the grocery store, as well as in medical offices. I am unable to shop in my local department store, where they use ESLs (digital price tags), for more than 15-20 minutes before experiencing severe dizziness and disorientation. Removal from the source does not provide immediate relief of symptoms, which can continue for several hours after exposure. The effects from EMF, RF and wireless radiation exposure are severe. Symptoms include severe dizziness, brain fog, fatigue, shortness of breath, and heart palpitations, all of which can last for as long as 2-3 hours post exposure, during which time I am bedridden. The closest description I can think of is the sensation of an eggbeater in your head, scrambling your brains. I do what I can to protect myself. My telephone is a wired landline. I do not use a cell phone, and have no idea what communication options will be available to me when AT&T succeeds in eliminating wired landline telephone service. As far as electronic equipment, my computer and peripherals are all wired. I have, unfortunately, lost access to a wired internet connection through my phone line as ISPs in my area no longer support a wired modem option. My current modem/router emits Wi-Fi signals, requiring that I limit my computer use to no more than 2-3 hours. In an effort to mitigate exposure intensity, I have limited speed, or power level, to no more than 300 Mbps. I am unable to withstand prolonged exposure to any device that uses a wireless connection. In order to protect the health of my pet, I also declined to have a microchip inserted in her body. I have not sought medical intervention, other than mentioning the condition to my physician. The only solution to protecting my brain and my body from this "attack" is to remove the offending technology; considering today's all-consuming dependence on wireless technology, with options becoming fewer and fewer each day, this is, of course, impossible to achieve. This is radiation exposure and worse, and this fact must be recognized as a real danger to humans and animals. It is my strong belief that constraints on this technology must be implemented, the health impacts must be accepted and communicated, and for those who suffer with the condition (possibly falling under ADA protection), options must be made available.

Smart meters can cause risks such as house fires for which insurance companies have been known not to take responsibility. As well as  health effects ranging from headaches, insomnia, chronic fatigue, ringing in the ears, dizziness, heart palpitations, heart attacks and medical implant interference from exposure to smart meters as well as cancer: https:smartmetereducationnetwork.com/smart-meter-fires.php

Smart Meters: The Federal Tariff must be struck down and eliminated: The $75 "Setup" And $34 Monthly Hit. Eliminate seniors on a fixed income, of this "opt-out" penalty immediately. The Infrastructure Modernization Fee (IMF). Millions of seniors are reporting a fixed “stealth tax" ranging from $15 to $45 per month. As noted by Electric Choice, the lack of dynamic pricing is estimated to cost the energy market $7 billion annually. The "Spy Meter" Privacy Concerns - smart meters collect every 15 minutes. This should be our constitutional right to choose if we have health problems and want to prevent more dangers to our health.