Kingsland City Council Makes Seriously Smart Decision, Unanimously Votes for No Opt Out Fee for Smart Water Meters!

Kingsland City Council Makes Seriously 

Smart Decision, Unanimously Votes for 

No Opt Out Fee for Smart Water Meters!

In a four-to-nothing vote last night, savvy Kingsland City Council members voted to abolish the $25 opt out fee previously in place for "smart" water meters.  Jim McClain, Grayson Day, Mike McClain, and James Galloway made the courageous move after being informed of the dangers presented by the radiofrequency radiation (RF) emitted by these meters every fifteen seconds!

Why the request for the free opt out?  Because RF can negatively affect human cells and DNA, children and adults alike can become sick, have memory, learning, and behavior problems, and even have leukemia, or brain or heart cancer.


I would like to thank these four City Council members for their vote to allow Kingsland citizens to choose to opt out for free from "smart" water meters.  Lots of people across the world fight for this type of ruling, and we are very happy to have gotten it here! 

To opt out, just click on the big, blue "W" below this article and print out the opt out form.  It has instructions what to do then:  "Completed forms can be dropped off at our office at 105 W. William Street, Kingsland, or faxed to 912-729-8827, or mailed to City of Kingsland, Attn:  Opt-Out, P. O. Box 250, Kingsland, GA 31548.  Forms can also be emailed to jopearson@kingslandgeorgia.com."  If the form does not appear or you can't or don't feel like printing it out, they will provide one for you and accept it at 105 W. Williams Street, Kingsland, GA, 31548, or you can call 912-729-9456 for more information. 

For other municipalities who are seeking to save themselves from "smart" meter emissions with a free opt out, we suggest meeting with your public officials in person.  Show them the evidence that radiofrequency radiation can wreak havoc on the human body.  We used this chart from Dr. Ronald Powell:  Biological Effects Chart, and showed the RF that can be emitted from a cell phone using a radiofrequency radiation analyzer.  We also shared the brochures and warning cards on this page:  StopSmartsMeters dot org store, and talked about the ALARA, or "As Low As Reasonably Achievable" principle.  The Centers for Disease Control says about ALARA: "This principle means that even if it is a small dose, if receiving that dose has no direct benefit, you should try to avoid it [CDC link to ALARA info]."
Because our city already had a company that was providing "smart" meters and had safety claims, we showed our officials, on the chart  created by Dr. Ronald M. Powell, Ph. D., that's mentioned above, that the amount of RF that these meters were emitting was capable of causing harm to children and adults.  We also used this conversion chart to show how microwatts per meter squared, which our RF analyzer used, and microwatts per centimeter squared, which the meter manufacturing company used in their brochures, were related (a minor math matter):  Microwatts Conversion Chart.

Probably the most convincing part of the presentations we made was showing, via recorded video, the emissions that came out of some already-installed "smart" water meters.  The levels at which the company claimed their meters emitted this radiation could result in the following dangers, according to scientific research included on the chart:  cause heart palpitations and insomnia, damage DNA, have reproductive and fertility effects, disrupt immune function, and cause heart and brain tumors/cancer, among other effects.

We talked with neighbors and were lucky enough, thank God, to get one that wrote a letter to the mayor,  saying the radiation would endanger her kids and she didn't think she should have to pay to escape it!  We gave the letter to the Mayor at our personal meeting, and distributed a copy of the letter to each council member at the meeting where the opt out vote took place.

Some other documents we took to our personal meetings with city officials included:  a sheet that talked about the World Health Organization making radiofrequency radiation a Class 2B carcinogen (which we put together from information here:  Stopsmartmeters dot org WHO article), and a printed-out couple of pages from EMFscientist.org showing their international appeal for "protection from non-ionizing field exposure [we trimmed it a little to make it fit on two pages:  237 Scientists from 41 Countries Ask for RF Intervention].  We also took the chart from the bottom of this Prevention article entitled "Is Dirty Electricity Making You Sick [Spoiler:  It could be - link here]?" and a letter from the the Environmental Protection Agency stating that neither they nor the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) cover non-thermal radiation - the kind that harms your kids, grandkids, and you - in their regulations.  Now, this letter was from 2002, but that has not changed in the years since they first made the regulations!  Here is a link to the letter.  It's in a PDF which can be printed out:  Shocking Admission from EPA about Radiation Risk!  We downloaded the PDF, to get it to an 8 & 1/2 x 11 size.

Last, but not least, there was a fact sheet that brought everything together as far as why there should be a free opt out in our town.  I'm going to put that below.  Please feel free to use any and all of these materials to go for the gold and get your own free opt out for your town, state, or other municipality!  I'm also posting, below the fact sheet, the two presentations we made to the city council on the night of the free opt out vote.

It seems like a lot of items, but we got better at the presentation with practice, and the whole thing took about a half hour by the time we got to meeting with the mayor. :-)

Best wishes going forward, and please feel free to contact Stop Smart Meters Georgia with any questions.  You can also find us at Stop Smart Meters Georgia Facebook, and, also on Facebook, Smart Meters Are Dangerous (SMAD)!  Our email address is info@stopsmartmetersGeorgia.Org.

Fact sheet, "Why Should There Be a Free Opt Out Fee for Smart Water Meters?"

The smart water meters provided by Neptune emit high levels of radiofrequency radiation (RF) every 15 seconds or so, radiation that has been shown by many research studies to damage DNA, disrupt immune function, cause heart and brain tumors, and other negative health effects. Children are especially susceptible. Some believe repeated exposure to RF can cause sensitivity to it, thus starting a vicious cycle that makes it difficult for people to be around any technology that emits it.

Neptune advised the City of Kingsland that these meters are safe. But they based that on faulty information. Based on unbiased scientific research on RF, they are not. They emit radiation at levels up to eighteen hundred times higher than some suggested limits. And the fact that these water meters pulse radiation makes it worse, because the body doesn't have a chance to get used to it.

FCC/EPA guidelines do not cover non-thermal radiation damage, the kind caused by RF emitted by these meters. Their guidelines only address damage caused by actual heating of human tissue.

Neptune also advised the City of Kingsland to charge a fee to opt out. This was very bad advice. A large proportion of our population here in Kingsland won't be able to afford a $25.00 a month opt out fee. That makes it discriminatory.

If one is forced to sign a contract to escape harm, that goes against the principle of right of contract, which says there can be no coercion to sign a contract. The World Health Organization has classified RF as a Class 2B carcinogen, and people should be able to escape it at no charge.

The $25.00 opt out fee is not for reading the water meter, as the charge for reading the meter was already in the bill we got every month, and citizens will continue to pay that, or get their water cut off. The City of Kingsland has charged its customers, for many years, for the resources the City utilizes to read water meters. As with the electric company, there is not a separate charge to read the meters, but customers, obviously, pay to have their meters read. The $25.00 opt out fee would be in addition to the charge that previously included reading the meter. People who opt out and are forced to pay $25 will be paying what they previously paid to have their meter read, plus the $25 charge, which will be tantamount to double-dipping.

Other communities, even states, have free opt outs, including Los Angeles and Arizona. In Michigan, during a hearing for a free opt out bill concerning smart meters, Richard Mettzer, Ph. D., said opt out fees are punitive, and designed to discourage people from opting out at all. The 14th Amendment of the Constitution addresses the "peaceful enjoyment of private property," and that is not possible if one cannot choose freely to not have radiation pulsing across the lawn every 15 seconds.

The vision of the Council is to enhance the quality of life, and have a commitment to family. This can be accomplished, in part, by making the smart water meter opt out free.

Dear Mayor Smith, given all the foregoing information, we would appreciate your help in getting a free or close to free opt out for smart water meters passed by the Kingsland City Council. The good people of the City of Kingsland deserve fairness from this beautiful place they've chosen to live, and for good reason. Thank you very much for your kind attention to this "meter matter" - we appreciate your time and efforts for our great City over the years!

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Final council presentations

First presentation:

First of all, I'd like to thank you for letting me speak before you, & say that we really love living in Kingsland. It's a great city, & you all help make it this way. Today I'm here to ask for your help in getting a free opt out for smart water meters. It was in the interests of saving the citizens of Kingsland money that you installed these modern meters. Unfortunately, scientists are finding out that the type of radiation these meters emit thousands of times a day can be hazardous to our health. The companies that sell smart meters assure us that they're safe, but that is just not the case, & that's the main reason we're asking for this free opt out.

The World Health Organization classifies RF, aka "radiofrequency radiation," the kind emitted by smart meters, as a Class 2B carcinogen. This is the same class that lead paint and asbestos are in, both of which we all know snuck into our society under the guise of safety and convenience, but now have to be "led" out using costly and complicated biohazard techniques. We've shared with you this "Reported Biological Effects from RF Radiation" chart (hold up). It shows dozens of research studies, &, according to Cindy Sage, an expert in the field, there are "thousands of studies in the last four decades have found that EMF exposure can create negative health effects in almost all of the systems of the body." These effects include ringing in the ears, heart palpitations, DNA damage, sleep & immune disruption, blood pressure problems, & cancer of the brain & heart.

Btw, though the companies that manufacture these meters assure their customers that they are not harmful, the information they rely on is NOT accurate. They look to the Federal Communications Commission and the Environment Protection Agency, the FCC & the EPA, to supply accurate safety information. Unfortunately, & please remember this during your deliberations, the EPA itself says that their current guidelines, which haven't changed since 1996, DO NOT APPLY TO CHRONIC, NONTHERMAL RADIATION SITUATIONS, which is what you have with a smart water meter. (Hold up EPA letter.) You heard that right. The governmental departments that smart water meter manufactureres rely on to tell you whether the meters are safe for your family do not address the radiation that is emitted from their meters! They only have guidelines that address their HEAT, and whether or not the meters will burn you. That's like regulating whether or not someone can beat you to death with a gun, but not whether or not they can shoot you through the brain or heart!

We think the citizens of Kingsland should not have to pay to avoid these dangers from a gadget that's supposed to be helping them. The radiation is beamed in every direction, & can reach at least thirty feet, if not farther. Please let your water customers opt out of this dangerous situation without having to pay a fee.

Here's a 2nd reason to do that. The opt out fee of $25 per month, which would have personally cost us over $7000 dollars if it was in place since we moved here, is billed as a charge for having the meter read by a person driving around in a truck. The fact is, we were already paying for that person in that truck to read the meter. Yes, it was not a line item on a bill, but, just like the electric company, water departments don't usually separate out reading the meter as a line item charge. It is included with everything else, including gallons used & water treatment. Saying that we're not paying to have the meter read already is like saying, when you buy some fried chicken that you're not paying to have it fried. The opt out fee is EXTRA, like someone waiting for you as you go to walk out the door, after you've paid for the fried chicken, asking for more money for cooking the chicken because "that wasn't included in your bill"!

There have been several amounts bandied about for the new smart water meter opt out, including zero dollars, one dollar, and five dollars. We would like to ask, again, that the opt out be free. We have seen that the $25 a month fee that is on the books now is not for reading the meter, so that is not a fair amount. If the fee is for reading the meter, and we were already paying for that, then the fee should be zero, in our opinion. Plus, many in Kingsland could not afford even a five dollar opt out fee. They are having trouble paying their bills as it is. So, please, vote for an opt out fee that is totally free. This will follow the Council's own vision of enhancing the quality of life for Kingsland residents, & the Council's proven commitment to family. Thank you.

Second presentation:

We had a lot of places to choose from when moving here, and very deliberately chose Kingsland for its many positive characteristics, including friendly people, beauty, and location. We also appreciate the caring responses of those who run this great city to our concerns.

As you heard, one of our biggest concerns is the radiation being emitted from the new smart meters. Your hearts were in the right place in ordering these meters - you were trying to save us money. There are over 70 million of them installed in the United States. But, as with many other inventions throughout history, and through no fault of your own, these gadgets have issues. In short, it's been shown that smart meter emissions, called radiofrequency radiation, or RF, which make it possible for them to be read from a distance, can be very harmful for people, and especially for kids, and that's what I'll talk about today.

One reason RF is more harmful to kids is that they are in a developmental stage. Their relative size is obviously smaller than that of an adult. And they are going to be playing around radiation-emitting meters, since these water meters are in or next to yards, and, as of yet, have no warning signs on them. Shockingly, the meters are shooting out dangerous amounts of RF every fifteen seconds or so, and that is just not something parents who have been informed about these dangers want near their kids. This is why we want a free opt out, for the protection of human health.

Please allow me to read a letter from one of my neighbors addressing these concerns. I've provided you a copy: This Kingsland mom says "I do not believe that individuals should have to pay an opt-out fee for smart water meters. They emit radiation many times per day, and this is unsafe for the myriad children roaming around our home. Additionally, we were already paying to have the meter read, so why the added expense?"

I measured the radiofrequency radiation emanating from smart water meters and have seen readings at very high levels, which I've shared with you in person. Here is a quick demonstration of the machine we used to read the meters, for those who haven't see it. The noise you'll hear is an indication of RF coming from a cell phone. (Demonstrate analyzer.) Cell phones emit the same radiation as smart meters, and, as you know, we've been hearing more and more warnings about cell phones in the news: Little children, hopefully, are not carrying around cell phones, but they are playing on and around smart water meters. We have to do all we can to protect them from harm. Kids can absorb up to TEN TIMES more radiation than adults, and we are responsible for making sure they have as little exposure to RF as possible While I'm on the subject, I'll just say please please look into hardwriting your electronic gadgets at home, to try and reduce your kids' exposure to radiation at home to zero.

What kind of health problems can RF cause? Because it negatively affects their cells and DNA, children can become sick, have memory, learning, and behavior problems, and even have leukemia, or brain or heart cancer. No wonder this concerned mom and other parents don't want their kids around radiation-emitting meters. There is also a medical condition, "electromagnetic hypersensitivity," or EHS, that the World Health Organization describes as "a phenomenon where individuals experience adverse health effects while using or being in the vicinity of devices emanating electric, magnetic, or electromagnetic fields," which is sometimes debilitating for the affected persons, some say up to 8% of the population. This free opt out will benefit EHS victims, also. Other communities and even states have free opt outs for smart meters. Hopefully, one day, these meters will be modified so that they only release a signal when the reader truck drives by, or, better yet, replaced by a non-RF-emitting meter. As of this year, over two-hundred and twenty-five scientists across the world have asked the United Nations that, at the very least, children and pregnant women be protected from radiofrequency radiation. France has banned WIFI in nursery schools, and WIFI routers in elementary schools are turned off until needed. We hope that you, too, will take action to protect our little ones, and make the opt out for smart water meters free. Please consider that we were already paying to have out meters read as part of our bills, and shouldn't have to pay an extra $25 a month, which would be a double charge. This type of fee has been termed "punitive" by some, but we know you don't mean it as such. Thank you very much for your time and attention to this important "meter m