20120222Menth Response.pdf

February 21,2012
‘ri q:31JeanJewell,Secretary r L’‘---
Idaho Public Utilities Commission
P0 Box 83720
Boise,Idaho 83 720-0074
FAX:[phone]
VIA:HAND DELIVERY
RE:Case No.IPC-E-12-04
Bonnie Menth and Vicky Davis,Complainants,vs.Idaho Power Co.,Respondent
Dear Ms.Jewell:
Enclosed for filing are an original and seven (7)copies of Bonnie Menth and Vicky Davis’
response to Idaho Power’s Answer to the Summons in the above matter.
Sincerely,
7/
•
Vickyj Davis,
Complainant
Bonnk Menth
Complainant
.————‘-‘-“(:E9
Bonnie Menth,Complainant
Case No IPC-E-1204
BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
BONNIE MENTH AND VICKY DAVIS,)
)Case No.IPC-E-12-04
Complainants,
)RESPONSE TO ANSWER
vs.
IDAHO POWER COMPANY,)
Respondent.
Complainant,Bonnie Menth,hereby responds to answers provided to the IPUC
for the Summons issued in the above entitled-case by the Respondent,Idaho
Power Company,as follows:
I.Factual Background
Idaho Power Company is an investor owned,regulated utility which is in the
business of selling electricity.I am a consumer of electricity and a customer of
Idaho Power.The implied contract for electric service with Idaho Power is that
they safely provide electricity to my home,meter the usage,bill me for it and
then Ipay for it.
Ida ho Power informed its customers by postcard last year that meters would be
replaced with the Smart Meter.The AMI Smart Meter does meter usage,but it
also consists of a two-way communication component using TWACS power line
communication technology.TWACS PLC and the Smart Meter produce dirty
electricity which flows into the home and radiates from interior household
electrical wiring.This dirty power causes me physical suffering and is a health risk
to the Public.The Smart Meter invades the privacy of my home by recording real
time data of electrical usage which creates a vivid profile of personal living habits.
For these reasons,I informed Idaho Power that I did not want AMI Smart
Metering Technology placed on my home and requested that they provide a filter
to clean up the dirty power from their TWACS PLC Smart Metering Technology
before it enters my home.
On the morning of December 13,2011,when I was out of town,an installer and
an Idaho Power representative accompanied by a city police officer,climbed over
my fence and forcefully installed the device.A complaint was filed with the Idaho
Public Utilities Commission and a Summons was issued to Idaho Power to answer
the complaint.I have received a copy of their answer on February 10,2011.
RESPONSE 2
II.RESPONSE TO IDAHO POWER’S ANSWER
A.Idaho Power Has Created a False Sense of Security for Ratepayers and the
Public At Large.
On August 11,2011,Mark Heintzelman of Idaho Power responded to my email
with information of IPC’s use of TWACS power line communication.Since that
email,I have understood that their Smart Meter would not be using wireless
communication.
Americans are familiar with wireless communication and its possible adverse
health effects,however we are not familiar with TWACS power line
communication.TWACS PLC works by transmitting a pulse,120 times a second,
onto the electrical 60 Hz signal.This pulse itself is in the 200 to 650 Hz range.’
This added pulse communication produces high frequency voltage transients.
Dirty electricity is also caused by the switching-mode power supply and possibly
other components of the Smart Meter,another unfamiliar technology.The dirty
electricity flows into the home and radiates from all electrical wiring inside the
home.This dirty electricity also flows onto the electrical wiring from customer’s
premises to neighbors’that are served by the same transformer.2
1 eiwellspring.org
docs.cpuc.ca.gov/efile/C/146649.pdf
RESPONSE 3
Dirty electricity is a health risk.An insert in a current Ida ho Power bill states:
“Your smart meter DOES NOT use any wireless communication media”
(emphasis in original)
When the Public presents their health concerns of Smart Meter Technology to
Idaho Power,their reply is that we are confusing their technology with wireless,
and that theirs is not wireless.This implies that TWACS PLC Smart Metering
Technology is safe and thus dismisses what are legitimate concerns and facts
about this unfamiliar communication technology.
B.Idaho Power Claims that Their Smart Meter Device is Fundamentally
Different from Meters using Wireless Communication
Smart meters are the same regardless of communication method used.One
radiates from wireless communication;the other radiates from electrical wiring in
the home from power line communication.Smart Meters produce their own dirty
power which is added the electrical current flowing into the home.
Smart meters have the capability to be remotely reprogrammed by the utility to
enable functions which are currently disabled or updated with new software at
any time with whatever functions are available and may do this without customer
notification or consent.
These functions include remote connect or disconnect service,control of
appliances,determination of what electronic device is being used,when we watch
Biological Effects of Dirty Electricity with Emphasis on Diabetes and Multiple Sclerosis,
Magda Havas,http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17178585
RESPONSE 4
a DVD or TV,for how long and how often,when we go bed,wake up,or stay up
late,the occupancy status of our home,when we take a shower,if we use laptops
or desktops,if we consume a lot of electricity at “unusual”hours.
Smart Meters create intimate details of our private activities in the most private
of places,our homes.They are surveillance devices.5And the information they
provide is being sought after by numerous companies for marketing purposes.
C.Idaho Power Answers that they did not send their installer to my house after
the previous contacts
The contacts referenced are emails of August 10-11th,in which I had notified
Idaho Power that I did not want a Smart Meter installed.Contrary to Idaho
Power’s Answer,they did dispatch their Smart Meter installer,Tru-Chek,at least
two times to my home as indicated by the flyers left on my door on August 19th
and August 23w.(Attachment 1)Tru-Chek then called for an installation
appointment.Idaho Power’s November 18th letter also states that their installer
was sent to my home during the referenced time period.
D.Idaho Power Fails to Address Complaint of Misrepresentation
‘http://scc.lexum.orgfen/2010/2010scc55.html In The Supreme Court of Canada -
Smart Meter DRA device placed on suspects home for the intent of surveillance;
includes a reference to another family investigated because the Smart Meter indicate
possible suspicious use of electricity when in fact they were growing orchids.
5www.denverpost.com/green business/ci_15 106430 New Electricity Grids May
be Smart,but Not So Private
RESPONSE 5
During a August 30,2011 visit by two Idaho Power representatives,an Idaho
Power representative denied knowing of or ever hearing of a Smart appliance and
that their technology would never “communicate”with them using the wiring of
my home.This misrepresentation needs to be addressed.
E..Idaho Power Falsely Asserts that a Small Number of People Ascribe Health
Effects to constant exposure to EMF
Dr.Thomas Rau,Medical Director of the world renowned Paracelsus Clinic in
Lustmüühle,Switzerland says he is convinced ‘electromagnetic loads’lead to
cancer,concentration problems,ADD,tinnitus,migraines,insomnia,arrhythmia,
Parkinson’s and even back pain.6 It is estimated that 3-8%of populations in
developed countries experience serious electrohypersensitivity (EHS)symptoms
today,and 35%experience mild symptoms.With increasing electromagnetic field
exposures,7 these numbers,along with the suffering involved for people who are
impacted,and the health care costsjnvolved,are bound to go up.
6 electromagnetichealth.org/electromagnetic-heafth-blog/medical-director-of-switzerlanci/
http://aje.oxfordiournals.org/content/14O/9/8O5.abstract Hydro Quebec suppresses
University report,“Association between Exposure to Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields and
Cancer in Electric Utility Workers in Quebec,Canada,and France”.
RESPONSE 6
Since the Smart Meter was placed on my home,what used to be mild symptoms
have now escalated to severe symptoms.Mild tinnitus has now become a 24/7
non-stop scream.I hear it as I attempt to sleep,and it’s the first thing I hear when
I wake.What used to be infrequent heart palpitations have become frequent daily
occurrences,along with sensations of vibration,burning,and dizziness.
Since this meter was placed on my home,I have incurred medical expenses,
replaced a digital thermostat with a mechanical one,digital clocks to mechanical,
replaced an electric clothes dryer with a gas model and a gas supply setup,
removed CFL light bulbs8 with incandescent and LED,and purchased EMF surge
filters and professional meters in attempts to mitigate the dirty power and its
negative health effects.
I have begun keeping a log of readings from my electrical outlets using a Graham
Stetzer professional meter.9 The Stetzer Meter1°is highly regarded and has been
8 www.magdahavas.org/tag/cfl CFL’s produce high levels of radio frequency and
contain mercury.Why have our electric companies pushed them on us?
9 Stetzer meter used in solving the relationship between power quality and cancer,
“A New Electromagnetic Exposure Metric:High Frequency Voltage Transients
associated with Increased Cancer Incidence in Teachers in California School”.
‘a Attachment 2
RESPONSE 7
used in some well known cases involving public schools where it was proven that
high levels of dirty power on the classroom wiring using 60 Hz power created
clusters of cancer and leukemia.
The Stetzer meter gives a reading which has removed the 60Hz signal when
plugged into an electrical outlet,so that the read out is a measurement of dirty
electricity (high frequency transients).Readings of 0 -25 GS are good;25 to 50 GS
are average;over 50 GS are undesirable.I take readings several times a day using
different variables such as when appliances or HVAC are running vs.when they
are not,computers off or on,and even turning circuits off at the breaker panel to
see if that affects the reads of other circuits.
I have found that high frequency voltage transients,aka dirty power,readings are
related to the time of day and the day of the week and that they are independent
of dirty power from the use of my appliances.Idaho Power is delivering a very
poor quality of power to our homes.High frequency voltage transients from
electrical wiring have been associated with many serious health problems
including cancer,MS.myeloma,diabetes,Parkinsons,ADD,and more.
RESPONSE 8
One evening I recorded a 1,920 GS reading when all appliances and HVAC were
off with only a few lights turned on.By 10:20 PM that night with HVAC,
refrigerator,and lights running,the readings had dropped down to 30 to 48 GS on
every outlet.It’s clear to me that the dirty power is being delivered on the
electrical current flowing into my home and the amounts skyrocket when there is
a high demand on Idaho Power’s distribution system during peak hours which
causes more high frequency voltage transients (dirty power)to be added to the
electrical current which is then delivered to my home.
These high meter reads of dirty power are not unique to my home which is only
10 years old and has had no electrical problems.I have taken extremely high
reads from neighboring homes using variables as previously described.
Idaho Power needs to be ordered to clean up the power before delivering it to
our homes.IPC needs to be ordered to provide whole home filters to customers
and filters at neighborhood transformers to block the high frequency transients
from entering our homes.
F.Meter Safety In the Wilner &Associates vs.PG&E,the issue of UL
certification was mentioned.I checked the Landis÷ Gyr website,and it says that
RESPONSE 9
their Smart Meters are not UL certified.The following paragraph is from the
Landis+Gyr FAQ website”:
Are solid-state electric meters UL approved?
No.Electrical meters are not governed by nor are there any UL standards they must pass.
ANSI is the standard that applies to electrical meters.
ANSI has traditionally provided standards and telecommunications equipment
certification not electrical device certification.The Smart Meter is a hybrid device
and it should be certified by ANSI and UL for safety.
Idaho Power Wants Money to Remove the Smart Meter which They Were Told
Not to Place on My Home.
Idaho Power makes erroneous claims of fee amounts used by PG&E.Idaho
Power has proposed exorbitant fee as a means to prevent a customer from being
able to afford and use a analog meter.Contrary to what was stated,PG&E is
charging $75 for removal and return of an analog meter and $10 monthly with
reduced or no fees to low income or disabled customers.No fee is charged when
a customer moves.PG&E customers are protesting the Smart Meter and the fees
charged just so they may have a safe,private and secure analog meter returned.
11 Landis Gyr website FAQ page,
RESPONSE 10
The Answer given indicates that Idaho Power continues to misinform the Public,
and its suggested fees for analog meter usage amount to “protection money”.
The Commission needs to order Idaho Power to remove my Smart Meter,to
provide a whole home surge filter and place filters at transformers to mitigate the
dirty power from its TWACS PLC Smart Metering Technology and neighboring
houses before it is delivered to my home.
It is very disheartening,now,to live in Idaho -a State where a utility company is
allowed to put harmful surveillance devices on a home,It is beyond my
comprehension that Idaho Power does not care that their Technology is causing
mental and physical suffering and unwarranted surveillance.Because Idaho
Power has a power monopoly across Southern Idaho,it feels free to dismiss
customer concerns,harass,threaten,trespass,and cause harm to its customers
who have no recourse as there is no other electrical provider available.
Also dismaying is that as I listened to the Idaho Public Utilities Commission read
my formal complaint against Idaho Power,the only concern expressed by the
Commission was for the finances of Idaho Power Company.
RESPONSE 11
Is it not the Commission’s duty to regulate utilities in a way that ensures that
ratepayers and the Public are protected in their persons and finances from unjust
and unsafe utility practices?It is my hope that the Commission will fulfill its duty.
Requested Relief
Bonnie Menth requests an order for removal of the Smart Meter and replacement
of the analog meter with no award for costs associated with it.If Idaho Power
hadn’t rushed to force the installation while the installation was still in dispute,
they would have incurred no additional costs and are therefore not entitled to
additional costs.
She also requests that the policy on Smart Meters be an “opt-in”program rather
than a mandatory program with no options at all because of the
nature of the technology and the capabilities enabled by it’s installation.Idaho
Power should design a consumer education program that describes in detail the
technology including the negative aspects as well as the positive aspects.Idaho
Power should be required to retroactively obtain the “opt-in”from all customers
after they retroactively educate them on the technology per the previous
statement.
Idaho Power should have a database of installed load control devices and when a
disconnect order is received;Idaho Power should be required to remove the
RESPONSE 12
device from the dwellng. Alternately, the device could remain as long as Idaho
Power is required to inform the new customer of the device, it's purpose and they
give the new customer the option to have it removed without charge.
Ms. Menth requests a standing order for the cost savings due to effciency gains
achieved by computerized systems and technology to be automatically passed
through to electric consumers in the form of rate reductions and not retained by
Idaho Power and not dribbled in increments through rebates for participation in
add-on programs.
Ms. Menth requests an order that all overhead costs associated with the Energy
Efficiency Committee be taken out of Idaho Powers profits and not charged back
to electric consumers.
Ms. Menth requests an independent investigation of the regulatory monopoly of
the Idaho Public Utilties Commission to determine if they are fulfiling their
mandate to serve the interest of the public. The regulatory structure under
which the Idaho Public Utilties Commission operates was designed for the
industrial era - a different time in history when each utilty type was a separate
and distinct business. With the integrative capabilties of computer technology
and process control systems, there is a danger that the consolidated regulatory
authority wil be used to regulate us into a totalitarian system of control through
centralized control of our critical infrastructure. Ms. Menth requests an
undetermined amount for attorneys fees from Idaho Power to initiate an
independent investigation of the regulatory monopoly of the Idaho Public Utilties
Commission. For the record, Idaho Powers Council, Lisa Nordstrom is a former
RESPONSE 13
employee of the Idaho Public Utilties Commission and may have a conflict of
interest relative to this request for relief.
Dated at Twin Falls, Idaho this 21st day of February 2012.
~
Bonnie J. Menth
Attachments: 1- Tru-Chek flyer
2- Graham Stetzer Units
RESPONSE 14
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Please phone TruCheck as soon as possible with your meternumberandrouteidentificationnotedbelow.Thank you.
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2 Milham and Morgan
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