Smart meters

Since the installation of “smart” meters in my home, I have had tinnitus and headaches. I was never given the option of choice.

In response to the question of my personal health issues caused by exposure to EMFs, radio frequency, and wireless radiation exposure: I have not been able to go anywhere for over 10 years where there are groups of people, because of the high EMFs, etc. levels caused by their cellphones, and, of course, the proliferation of cell towers, including 5G. After so many years of being mostly stuck in the house, my mental state can be difficult to deal with. Wearing personal shielding clothing, I am only able to go to the store for groceries and other necessities, a local park, and the library for short periods of time. Due to the radiation from Smart Meters and cell towers in the vicinity of the mobile home park where we live, I can no longer spend time in my own backyard, which is adjacent to a beautiful, large creek. Sadly, I can no longer work in the garden. Before I got dramatically sick from cumulative wi-fi exposure on July 3, 2016, I was very active socially. For many years, I was a folk musician and performed all over the U.S and also in Europe. I also produced a music festival in Berkeley, California. But that life is over for me, now. When I got sick because of smart meters, cell towers, and the wi-fi router in our house, I couldn’t talk and I could barely walk, and what I did try to say was described as “gibberish”. Basically, my brain shut down to the bare minimum necessary to keep my body alive. It took 8 months of sleeping 10 hours a night in a house with absolutely no wi-fi and lots of shielding on the doors and windows (and excellent natural health care, including dietary measures) before I could think straight and communicate clearly again. I might add that after Smart Meters were put on the electric meters in our mobile home park with approximately 40 units, the bees and butterflies started dying. Of course, we “opted out” and convinced several neighbors close by to do the same. Actually, we have been paying their opt-out fees for about 8 years. I urge you to take the human and environmental consequences of EMF exposure seriously and consider slowing down the increasing number of 5G towers across the country. In making these important decisions for every American, please remember me and everyone who spoke against more microwave/EMF technology. You have a chance now to prevent the coming avalanche of cancer, atrial fibrillation, other heart problems, and nervous system disorders, including mental problems. Microwave radiation has a severe impact on the body, but by the time most people realize it, they are already very sick and it is difficult to recover. I am one of the lucky ones who managed to recover, thanks to my partner who has made a huge effort to totally shield our house, including the windows, to protect us. I will be 80 years old in December and I live in a mobile home that is totally shielded to keep out microwave-radiation, thanks to the efforts of my partner. We have incurred approximately $5,000 in costs for the shielding necessary to live in a wi-fi free home with WIRED computers and router. My partner is a wholistic chiropractor, and he has many patients who are ill (and some who have died) because of wi-fi exposure, including but not limited to cancer and atrial fibrillation, which is happening more and more across the U.S. We are very grateful to Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for focusing on the dangers of this harmful technology. It’s long over-due for regulation.

In about 2011, I began noticing that I was bothered by wireless radiation. It began with the newer TV's which I could not use, then it escalated to wi-fi and cell phones. After becoming inundated by my many neighbors wi-fi, I had to leave my home and sleep in the country, because I could no longer sleep. I began sleeping in a building I had access to, in the country, which helped. Along with sleep difficulties, the exposure caused me nerve pain up and down my middle, tingling feet, tachycardia, and more. After a hard search on what to do, trying to shield my home to no avail, I made the very difficult decision to move to Green Bank, West Virginia. My life was not a life I wanted to leave, and like all who have come here, I spent a lot of money making the move. And I spent a lot of money on home shielding attempts. I have lived and owned a home in Green Bank area for 10 years now, and have made a life here, but still find I am frustrated at the limitations that have been placed on me and the other refugees here. At the very least, we need a place to live. A protected area. Although Green Bank is called the "Quiet Zone," and it is better than the outside world, due to no cell towers and smart meters, etc., It is far from perfect and far from the kind of quiet people who have this affliction need. Those of us who suffer this challenge have a right to a place to live on this earth. This has truly become a 'human rights issue,' and we need help.

Questions 3, 11, 16 and 18 – Lived experience of EHS I am submitting this response from the UK as an individual with EHS. I am in my mid-fifties and developed EHS in my forties. It became severe enough to fundamentally change where and how I live and work. Q3 – Personal experience My symptoms varied with the type, intensity and duration of exposure, and my sensitivity appeared cumulative. Severe reactions included intense headaches progressing to migraine-like episodes, extreme sensitivity to light and sound, inability to eat, feeling physically out of balance, weakness and exhaustion. I could be confined to bed for 2–3 days before gradually recovering. A significant source of RF/EMF exposure was a cell tower in the paddock I rented for my horses. Over time it carried equipment from approximately six providers. For years I spent around five hours daily within 100 metres of it. Once highly sensitive, I reduced this to about two hours daily, the minimum needed to care for my horses. I also experienced severe abdominal cramps, particularly in association with smart meters, episodes of slurred speech and serious cognitive problems. My short-term memory could disappear to the point that I had no recollection of what I had just said. I sometimes became defensive or unusually irritable when challenged about things I could not remember. At my most sensitive I could not sit in front of a computer screen or be near a mobile phone without symptoms. When cumulative exposure was high, even proximity to a phone in flight mode could sometimes trigger symptoms. I became unable to think clearly, was physically weak and exhausted, and for years could not work or earn a living. I could no longer attend my children's school meetings, shop, visit the doctor or dentist without exposure becoming a problem, or socialise normally. I lost almost all my friendships because I could no longer visit people's homes or meet in wireless public environments. EHS also placed considerable strain on my marriage and has played a significant part in its breakdown. By 2019 I was living with profound fatigue virtually 24/7 and my quality of life had become unbearable. My family and I relocated from Hampshire to rural Mid Wales specifically so I could create an extremely low-EMF environment and attempt to recover. For approximately four years much of my life was devoted to rebuilding my health, strength and stamina. It was a very slow process, but living with greatly reduced exposure allowed me eventually to begin working again. I now operate a business from home. Although considerably stronger, I have not returned to my former life. I generally cannot spend more than around half a day in higher-exposure environments before needing to return home to recover. Exposure affects my nervous system. I use breathwork, particular foods and physical exercises, which help me manage temporarily but do not remove my sensitivity. I still need my very low-exposure home environment, where my body can settle and recover; working with my land and animals also helps me ground. My experience led me to establish The Wireless-Free Farm on our 17.5-acre smallholding in Mid Wales. It is intentionally maintained wireless-free because this remains the environment I need to live and work. We also welcome guests, including people with EHS who struggle to find suitable accommodation. The Wireless-Free Farm is not a lifestyle choice or rejection of technology. It is the practical outcome of the adaptations I had to make to regain a workable life. Q11 & Q16 – Sensitive populations and research I encourage HHS to investigate people with EHS as a potentially sensitive population. Few genuinely low-exposure environments remain, making it difficult for affected people to avoid exposure sufficiently to observe changes. Research should examine cumulative and multiple-source exposure, proximity, duration, pulsed/modulated signals and individual variation, including before and after substantial RF/EMF reduction. People who have reorganised their lives around exposure reduction and low-exposure environments may provide valuable research opportunities. Q18 – Recommendation Please listen carefully to people living with this condition. My experience alone cannot establish scientific causation, but experiences such as mine should not be dismissed because mechanisms remain uncertain. I went from an ordinary, active life to being unable to work, socialise normally or participate fully in society. I had to relocate and redesign my living environment. Reducing my exposure was followed by substantial, although gradual, improvement. Rigorous, independent research is urgently needed. This is not an abstract debate about technology. It affects where we can live, work, travel, receive healthcare, maintain relationships and participate in society.

I hope and pray that this is taking seriously because I have personally seen the negative effects all of this has had on a good friend of mine. I have known him for over 30 years. He went from being an extremely hard worker for many years, owning his own construction business, being president of a motorcycle abate club that did several fundraisers for wonderful causes and a father who always took his kids everywhere they needed to go for school functions etc.To a man that can barely work on a farm. Has to run to get away from precision ag equipment when they are near him because of the 5G, Lives by himself without electricity, has had to live in his vehicle for years covering the windows to protect himself from cell towers, anything wireless-windmills, smart meter, people’s smart vehicles that drive by his farm you name it he is effected by it. He has planted so many trees around his farm to try and protect himself in a natural environment. I have personally seen how newer vehicles cause him so much pain when they drive by, Even planes when they fly over head. The GPS tracking everything it has been insane! I care about this man deeply and pray that something is done about this soon. He can no longer live a normal life like he used to. It’s extremely disheartening. He has a daughter that has type 1 diabetes and is hooked up to a Bluetooth device that he can’t be around her when she has it on. He has seen the effects of this on his children as well. When everything is shut off, him and his kids function some what normally around each other and can have normal conversations. He is in constant fight mode when barely any relief. The main things that help him is how he eats-everything organic, exercising-taking supplements-Grounding with Nature-Shielding himself from cell towers and being alone most of the time. He wants to live a normal life so he can be around the people he cares about again. Please make this happen not only for him but for everyone that is affected by it.

Last time I travelled by train (in 2022) I felt as if I was having a stroke. I could’t walk normal, everything was tipping over. When I go in to big cities, it feels the same plus that I get this burning feeling in my face. My face get all red. This is also what happens if I stand close to a router with antenna. If I sit in a electric car or even in a hybrid car I get a headache and I feel dizzy. Ever since they put up the smartmeter outside our bedroom I have wake upp every morning with body aches. We turn off our router every night, we try as match as we can to minimize to be exposed for RM/EMF. I can forget to visit my friends who lives in big cities, I can forget to travel by train or by flights. It have becomes a real handicap.

My health issues began when I lived about 1/4 mile from a cell tower and began using a cell phone. I now have multiple chemical sensitivity and electrosensitivity. I have had to make drastic changes in order to continue working and try to be well. It is increasingly difficult to do so with most utilities using smart meters and increasing numbers of satellites beaming EMF to the earth. Those who are more sensitive are the canaries in the coal mine, predicting the health issues to come for those less sensitive. Please put restrictions on EMF exposure in neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, etc. to protect us and future generations. Abigail Haberman MD

Re: RFI Docket response on EMF & EMR comments Re: FCC’s failure to set safe guidelines for EMR exposure. This includes cell phones, all ‘Smart’ devices including smart meters, cell towers, cell repeating units, WIFI in buildings, outside WIFI repeaters, automobile EMR emitting devices, etc. The FCC or any agency that sets safety standards for all these devices need to do thorough scientific studies, but in the meantime, they must mitigate the levels of EMR from ALL devices. Re-tooling is required, no doubt, but it’s the FCC’s fault for allowing the level of EMR being emitted from the start. When cell phones first came out, the telecom industry warned its shareholders that they may be sued for injuries from people who were harmed by the devices. They never warned the customers buying the phones! This is blatant disregard for human health and safety. I have had EHS (also called EMR Syndrome) for over 12 years, all due to the exponential rollout of cell phones/towers, WIFI, and Smart Meters. My life went from normal to very ill in a short period of time. It took me a while to find out it was EHS. When exposed to EMR, I experience heart arrhythmias, an allover weak feeling, my legs feel very heavy suddenly (almost always a Smart Meter for that symptom), migraines, tinnitus, and sometimes stinging of the skin depending upon the level of EMR. If I don’t get away from the exposure quickly, I feel like I’ll pass out. I purchased a Safe & Sound Pro 2 EMF meter to discover where it is safe for me (lower EMF’s). The meter is certified and calibrated, and I can confirm that there are hardly any places left where the levels are truly safe. The safety standard I use is OSHA Standard for EMF exposure for Telecom workers: https://cwa-union.org/sites/default/files/osh-fact-sheet-16-microwave_and_radio_frequency_radiation.pdf 10 mW/cm(2) (milliwatt hour per square centimeter) for periods of 0.1 hour or more. Literally, I have NEVER found readings that are that low except deep in the woods away from homes, towers, and industry. All readings are higher. Smart Meters have been mostly 22,000 mW/sqMeter(intermittently). A parking lot near us presents readings between 12,000 to 1 Million mW/sqMeter! People are being bathed in this excessive exposure every time they go to that shopping center. Cancer, heart issues, brain issues, etc. - all are side effects of this deleterious exposure. It’s just a matter of time…. Day after day, people are dying from all the diseases caused by EMR. We have a dear friend who has brain cancer from holding the cellphone near their ear. Schools that have cell towers near them have been encountering students with cancer; some actually have died! It’s a fact that Autism rates have climbed at the same time EMR exposure has climbed. Pregnant women holding their cellphones on their belly are not warned against this, which is criminal, in my opinion. The FCC was ordered by the Court to re-evaluate safe exposure limits for EMR, and they have blatantly avoided doing so. They know exposure levels are WAY too high now and would be lying if they described a high level as safe, so they’re simply avoiding doing what they were ordered to do. The FCC is a captured agency and the people allowing the exposures from cellphones, towers, etc. need to be fired. People with morals need to replace these ‘officials’. If 5G is put up in the area where I live, I could end up living in my basement and never be able to go out again. It would be like being in prison. Is this what the telecom industry wants? Is this what the FCC wants? Is this what HHS wants? There are tens of thousands of people suffering with EHS in dozens of support groups (mostly on social media) communicating around the planet. They are all desperate for relief from this deadly exposure. If you question these principles of exposure, just look into the “Havana Syndrome”. This is a well-documented illness caused by high levels of EMR. It’s time for our government to wake up and stop ignoring this. We are desperate to have our good health back. There are hundreds if not thousands of scientific studies proving the harm of EMR. If you have one iota of care for the citizens of these beloved United States, you will DO something to fully correct the long-evaded issue of extreme EMR exposure to everyone! I will attempt to attach several studies that prove the harm. Thank you for taking this seriously! It’s long overdue.

I've been experiencing issues with my hearing, ringing in the ears, having migraines and dizziness since moving into my our current home about 4yrs ago. The high pitched noise at some points has been almost unbearable and makes it incredibly difficult to sleep or think straight. All of this from a smart meter. The utility company won't let us opt out and revert to an analog for any reason, they even went so far as to say they no longer make analog meters, but they do indeed make them still. Everyone in the home can hear the noise. We've tested it and turned off everything in the breaker box and you can hear it still, 24/7. I bought a meter to test the EMF and RF and they are off the charts in unsafe zones and this meters attached to our living room, the main room in our home where our toddlers play all day. I tried using paint that blocks these types of waves and it barely made a dent. I have hearing loss and can barely hear my toddlers in the backseat, rining in my ears and it all started within weeks of moving into this house with the smart meter. I even had my ears checked a couple months ago and they were within normal range, but none of this is normal. I just want to option to choose an analog meter, not a non-transmitting meter, but an analog... I'm happy to pay the additional fee, but I'm not even given an option. The doctor I saw about my hearing offered therapy to help me learn how to ignore the high pitched noise... How does that help fix the problem? There has to be another way and those that are more sensitive to EMF waves, especially, should have options! The data is clear that these levels aren't safe but I have no options for dealing with this issue. PLEASE HELP US!!! I have videos I can share about the meter and how high the levels are but it says it's too large to upload.

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 parent. My teenage son who never had a single health issue in his life started experiencing involuntary twitching within a few months of a SMART METER (referred to as EVIL METER from this point forward) being installed on our home. Within approximately 4 months he had a full blown seizure. He was the only one in our home who had a bedroom on the side of the house as the EVIL METER which was right on the outside of the wall and was being bombarded every night in his sleep. This made me sick to my stomach to even think about!!! We moved his room and he started immediately seeing our acupuncturist for treatments as we do not believe in the lies and medications that traditional western doctors push. We received their suggestions and the answer was NO. This entire experience has changed our son as it would anyone and he is now EMF sensitive and still healing after a year and a half. I can not imagine how many innocent children and human beings and even animals are being terrorized and poisoned by EVIL METERS and all other forms of EMFs and when the clues lead to these sources many roll their eyes and you are felt to be crazy for even suggesting these sources by "professionals". I support HHS taking an active role in examining the potential health and environmental effects of wireless radiation. Questions about human health should be addressed by federal agencies with appropriate expertise in medicine, biology, epidemiology, and public health, and the experiences of individuals and families who report being affected should be considered alongside the scientific evidence. 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!!