– Guest’s website: https://stopsmartmetersbc.com/
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See BCUC & Smart Meter Fires Report (July 2017): https://stopsmartmetersbc.com/bcuc-smart-meter-fires-the-failure-to-protect/)
– Guest’s website: https://stopsmartmetersbc.com/
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See BCUC & Smart Meter Fires Report (July 2017): https://stopsmartmetersbc.com/bcuc-smart-meter-fires-the-failure-to-protect/)
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See BCUC & Smart Meter Fires Report (July 2017): https://stopsmartmetersbc.com/bcuc-smart-meter-fires-the-failure-to-protect/)
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See BCUC & Smart Meter Fires Report (July 2017): https://stopsmartmetersbc.com/bcuc-smart-meter-fires-the-failure-to-protect/)
My response back:
Sent:November 7, 2017
To: ‘Commission Secretary BCUC:EX’ <Commission.Secretary@bcuc.com>
Cc:bchydroregulatorygroup@bchydro.com
Subject: BC Hydro Response to BCUC Request for Comment on Ms. Noble’s Correspondence
Dear Mr. Wruck,
The comments provided by Mr. James and Mr. Garis are consistent with those made in response to my charges over the last 4 years. They evade and mislead. None of the critical issues that I raised in this comprehensive fire report are addressed:
1) The expert information given by independent professional engineers regarding design flaws is ignored.
2) One source and one source only is used by Mr. Garis, and that source is incomplete and erroneous in many regards.
3) Mr. Garis failed to corroborate the information in the only source he used, failing to review the raw data which was readily available to him.
4) Regulations and laws are being violated:
i) Meters are being removed from homes prior to the inspection. BC Hydro states otherwise and ignores the evidence provided by BCSA, the media and by witnesses.
ii) Fire reports are not being completed in all situations where property is damaged.
iii) Many electrical fires are not being inspected by the BC Safety Authority or the inspectors at the 9 jurisdictions.
iv) Insurance reports are not available to victims or the general public.
5) Loopholes in regulations exist which allow dangerous devices and practices to put lives and property at risk.
6) There is no tracking of fires, no coordination among/between agencies, and no central authority with responsibility for oversight.
7) The public is being given false, incorrect information.
According to evidence that I obtained directly and provided in my fire report, Mr. James has been misled with regard to procedures that BC Hydro follows. It is imperative that he read the complete report, review the evidence, and consider that BC Hydro has allowed him to provide erroneous and irrelevant comments.
Mr. Wruck, I am still waiting for a response from the BCUC regarding the charges I made regarding the Commission’s failure to protect the customers of BC Hydro, which is required under the BC Utilities Commission Act. I look forward to receiving it at your earliest convenience.
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(click on photos to enlarge)
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Fire Report – https://stopsmartmetersbc.com/bcuc-smart-meter-fires-the-failure-to-protect/ – for the complete report, spreadsheet, documentation, and addenda.
Press Release – https://stopsmartmetersbc.com/press-release-bcuc-smart-meter-fires-september-21-2017/
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See BCUC & Smart Meter Fires Report (July 2017): https://stopsmartmetersbc.com/bcuc-smart-meter-fires-the-failure-to-protect/)
See BCUC & Smart Meter Fires Report (July 2017): https://stopsmartmetersbc.com/bcuc-smart-meter-fires-the-failure-to-protect/)
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(Why doesn’t your MLA care about the threat smart meters pose to your life? Sharon Noble is Director of The Coalition to Stop Smart Meters BC Guest’s website: https://stopsmartmetersbc.com/
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PRESS RELEASE – for immediate release September 21, 2017
WHERE THERE’S SMOKE, THERE’S FIRE
BCUC fails to protect smart meter customers
The BC Utilities Commission Act says the prime reason the BC Utilities Commission exists is to ensure BC citizens receive safe and secure service. Section 25 of the Act reads:
If the commission, after a hearing held on its own motion or on complaint, finds that the service of a public utility is unreasonable, unsafe, inadequate or unreasonably discriminatory, the commission must (a) determine what is reasonable, safe, adequate and fair service, and (b) order the utility to provide it.http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/96473_01 |
Sharon Noble, Director of Coalition To Stop Smart Meters, last week released a report based on three years of research into smart meter fires and failures. Noble charges that BCUC has failed to do its job. Even after BCUC received a formal complaint with evidence that public safety is being jeopardized, the Commission did nothing. BCUC neglected to order BC Hydro and FortisBC to provide “reasonable, safe, adequate and fair service”. The report asserts:
1) No agency is tracking fires;
2) Regulations and laws are being broken with impunity, e.g. meters are being removed from the fire scene, electrical inspections are not being done;
3) Reporting is haphazard at best;
4) The meter is combustible, poorly designed, with critical components uncertified by any agency to be safe;
5) BC Hydro did not perform its due diligence by having an independent electrical engineer inspect the meter for safety prior to signing the contract. Rather it accepted ITRON’s assurances;
6) Smart meters have burned, melted and caused homes to burn. BC Hydro and BCUC both deny this is happening.
Consumer Affairs recalls defective devices, such as cars and electrical appliances (https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/consumer-product-safety.html). Consumer Affairs has no jurisdiction to recall defective smart meters because the meters are owned by the utility company, not by any of the consumers who are required to use them. Noble observes, “Who is watching out for us, ensuring that these devices mandated by law and installed on our homes without our permission are safe? No one.”
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Contact information for media only:
Sharon Noble
dsnoble@shaw.ca
Next page: Image Files, Background Files
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All the pdf files are large, therefore accessing the links will not be a quick download. Your patience is appreciated.
1. The Report (2 pdfs)
The Report http://tinyurl.com/SMFireReport
Appendix W http://tinyurl.com/AppendixWSpreadsheet
2. Research documentation (2 pdfs*)
Includes reports received from the Fire Commissioner, the Attorney General’s Office (JAG), the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (TRA), BC Safety Authority, BC Hydro, and victims.
The reports in these Volumes are in the same sequence as the summaries provided on the spreadsheet in Appendix W.
Volume I http://tinyurl.com/SuperReportDataVol-I
Volume II http://tinyurl.com/SuperReportDataVol-II
* The amount of documentation is extensive, therefore it is presented in two volumes:
Volume I holds reports for fires that occurred in municipality names beginning with A to M;
Volume II holds reports for municipality names beginning with N to W.
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REPORT CONTENT
Credit: Coalition to Stop Smart Meters
COVER OF THE REPORT
Credit: Coalition to Stop Smart Meters
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Fire Report – https://stopsmartmetersbc.com/bcuc-smart-meter-fires-the-failure-to-protect/ – for the complete report, spreadsheet, documentation, and addenda
BC Hydro Comments & Sharon Noble’s Response Back – https://stopsmartmetersbc.com/bc-hydro-response-to-bcuc-request-for-comment-on-ms-nobles-correspondence-re-smart-meter-fires-report-october-20-2017/
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