People are mad as hell and they are not going to take it anymore as a provincial mandate to affix smart meters to the sides of West Kootenay homes prepares to be aired by the B.C. Utilities Commission.
Before that eagle takes flight, a local group has planned to bring out what they are claiming is the truth on the health and well being effects of the new technology.
On Oct. 10, 7 p.m. at the Royal Canadian Legion, engineering technologist and intervener in the upcoming BCUC hearing on the FortisBC application to install the meters, Curtis Bennett, will be speaking smartly on the meter matter.
He said the most important information people will take away from the session is that those against bringing the technology into 115,000 West Kootenay and Okanagan homes have done their homework.
“We have consulted from every industry from gas, oil, mines, mills, lumber, energy, manufacturing, insurers, forestry, fires, military, medicine and medical education,” he said.
Bennett noted Health Canada, the Federal Communications Commission and other international bodies missed critical data linking the frequencies to adverse health effects.
There will be videos shown of what “is actually going on,” on the night in question, said Roger Catalano, one of the local organizers.
The intent of the night is to make people aware that smart meters are not a good thing for people, said organizer Mary Gay.
“A lot of people think they are, or they don’t care because they don’t know enough about them and they are just letting it go,” she said.
“We want to make people aware what they are all about and what we are being told now is not the truth. They are not as good as what BC Hydro or FortisBC are trying to tell us.”
The meeting is being held ahead of the BCUC application hearing to let people know they can still lend their voice to stopping the process. People can still send comments to the BCUC, and their comments will be considered as part of the review process.
“The more letters out there the better it will be to stop this,” said Gay.
FortisBC filed an application with the BCUC July 26 for the installation of around 115,000 meters in the West Kootenay and the Okanagan. The project has an estimated capital cost of approximately $47.7 million and is expected to commence in late 2013 and be completed by 2015.
FortisBC has requested the deadline for the approval of the application be July 20, 2013.
The evening also includes a question-and-answer period.
A time table for the review of the FortisBC application can be found at:
The application is available at: www.bcuc.com