Letter to the Editor; Johnson

I have recently been made aware that MLEC is in the process of replacing current advanced (digital smart) meters for RF (radio frequency) advanced (digital smart) meters in all five counties it services, currently in Hickman County. They plan to start in Lewis County in January 2023.

There are 7 Cooperative principals that govern MLEC which can all be found on http://www.MLEC.com. The second principal, Democratic Member Control, states that cooperatives are democratic organizations controlled by their members who actively participate in setting policies and making decisions. I am deeply concerned that this decision was made without any prior advanced notice or discussion with MLEC members in direct violation of that governing principal.

The only safety study available from the FCC that is applied for advanced smart meters is from Germany in the 1940s during world war 2. It based on thermal science regarding microwave electromagnetic energies. In the last 80 years no other safety studies have been made available. What does exist and is available are hundreds of scientific references that point to adverse health problems from microwave electromagnetic energies. Children are at the most vulnerable because they absorb more radiation than adults. Electromagnetic Sensitivity (EHS) is a growing problem with some recent estimations that close to 5% of the World’s population is affected.

Chemical sensitivities were discredited for years and so now it appears to be happening with EHS. I believe that MLEC should move towards a moratorium with installation of any RF advanced meters immediately until such time that members and the board alike can be properly educated on the very serious health risks even low levels of microwave radiation can have on the human body.

The precautionary principal, published in the national library of medicine (pubmed.gov), states in its simplest form the following: “When an activity raises threats of harm to human health or the environment, precautionary measures should be taken even if some cause- and- effect relationships are not fully established scientifically.” This principal is the basis for European environmental law and is used in the U.S. decision making process for regulating drugs and other consumer products to include, among others, the production of chemicals. Public participation is encouraged and transparency on the risk / benefit analysis and process is required.

I urge my fellow Lewis County citizens and MLEC members alike to contact their board members as soon as possible and insist we pause installation until such time as the public can be properly educated on this very serious health issue utilizing the precautionary principal as a possible framework to assist in this process.

Sincerely,

C.D. Johnson

[email protected]