For anyone who wishes to fight the installation of a smart meter on their home for medical reasons, I would like to share my own successful experience.
I live in the San Diego area--most of us in California live very close to our neighbors homes, and unfortunately there is nothing to date we can do to stop installation of their meters.
However, nothing in The Telecommunications Act of 1996 prohibits us from complaining about health when installing a smart meter on our own homes.
A "smart meter" is NOT a "wireless facility" (thus exempted from health concerns) and many of us will be/are being harmed by the unwelcome radiation in our homes. Do not let your electric company tell you otherwise.
Tell them to very carefully read Section 704 of The Telecommunications Act of 1996 and ask how they would define a smart meter as a wireless facility--i.e., Are cell phones wireless facilities? Of course not. It defies logic. But be prepared, because that excuse may be attempted by your electric company. SDG&E tried it--unsuccessfully.
Bottom line: You do have a right to complain about health concerns, but be prepared to offer solid proof by way of a physician's documentation.
When I heard SDG&E was going to install smart meters in Rancho Santa Fe, CA, I did the following to prevent installation of a smart meter on my home:
1) I called and followed up in writing with SDG&E corporate office, informing them that I had a heart condition that could be adversely affected by radio frequency (RF) radiation. Anyone who is known to be electrosensitive should have the same rights as those of us who have heart-related issues.
2) I got a letter from my cardiologist explaining that RF radiation has been known to alter heart rhythms.
But first I had to educate my cardiologist as to what a smart meter is and does. Here are two documents I took to my cardiologist:
J R Jauchem. Exposure to extremely-low-frequency electromagnetic fields and radiofrequency radiation: cardiovascular effects in humans. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 1997 ;70 (1):9-21 9258703.
http://www.springerlink.com/content/eael1nx1ymblvj2h.../
The 2002 letter from Norbert Hankin of the US Environmental Protection Agency to Janet New of (then) The EMR Network (she is now head of the EMR Policy Institute). Norbert Hankin's revealing letter indicates standards set by the US government in 1996 do not apply to non-thermal effects of RF radiation. In other words, we are not living in a world of protection; the non-thermal effects of RF radiation were not taken into account when the regulations were established. "Safety standards" were never set. "Safety" is a false assumption.
3) I made an appointment to see Gunnar Heuser, MD, PhD, in the Los Angeles area. Dr. Heuser has long specialized in neuro-toxicology and is widely recognized as one of the top medical experts in this arena. Dr. Heuser can objectively test a patient to document electrosensitivity, and if they are found to be electrosensitive, he can write a medial report that can unequivocally state one' s health may be harmed by exposure to RF radiation from a smart meter. I fell into this electrosensitive category, as have many others. Dr. Heuser is seeing more and more patients adversely affected by smart meters. He can be reached at: (310) 500-0041. Dr. Heuser' s address: P. O. Box 2730, Agoura Hills, CA 91376.
4) I then sent letters from my cardiologist and Dr. Heuser to SDG&E's corporate office. I told them they could not place a smart meter on my home due to health concerns. Additionally, I stated I would hold SDG&E legally responsible if my health was further impaired by a smart meter.
5) The result? SDG&E did not install a smart meter on my home.
Susan Foster
Rancho Santa Fe, CA