Subject: Renewed denial of free speech regarding smart meters.
Thursday, April 19, as part of The Citizens for Safe Technology, I attended the monthly directors meeting at the Columbia Shuswap Regional District in Salmon Arm to observe the BC Hydro presentation on smart meters.
Several days before the meeting, all directors were given five specific questions to be expressed to BC Hydro delegates after their presentation.
These are the five concerns:
In their pamphlet, BC Hydro claims that “after research and testing, BC Hydro has selected technology that exceeds the most rigorous safety standards in the world.”
1. What research did BC Hydro perform, to make sure that the smart meters are safe to the public? Cite the findings and researchers involved. Were the routers, which are part of the hardware, included in these tests?
2. How will BC Hydro protect their customers with EMF hypersensitivities from electromagnetic waves entering their residences?
3. How will BC Hydro deal with customers who face sudden, unusually high consumption readings?
4. How can BC Hydro claim that rates will be kept low, when rates went up seven per cent on April 1, 2012 with more increases on the horizon?
5. How will BC Hydro protect their installations from unwanted hacking?
None of the 11 CSRD directors addressed questions 1, 2 and 4, while questions 3 and 5 received only a vague reply.
Just as at Salmon Arm city council meeting, the public wasn’t allowed to ask any questions to BC Hydro representatives.
I am utterly disgusted and disappointed by the blatant disregard demonstrated by our elected representatives towards their constituents’ concerns.
Werner Hupfauer,
Sorrento