The Director of the Coalition to Stop Smart Meters is attempting to gather information pertaining to potential smart meter fires and failures.
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIP Act) allows the public to obtain information regarding governmental agencies to determine if they are operating within the parameters of the law, how they are using our money, etc. The privacy of individuals is guaranteed under this Act, but not the privacy of the public agency or its actions. Questions have been asked of BC Hydro and the FOIP Act is being misused to refuse to respond. This is wrong and must not be allowed.
Example number one pertains to a request for information about smart meters that were involved in 4 fires, as reported in an internal report. It was clearly stated that the information being requested pertained to BC Hydro’s equipment and not to personal information. BC Hydro repeatedly refused, quoting Section 22 of the FOI Act.
A formal complaint has been lodged with the Privacy and Information Commissioner, Elizabeth Denham.
You can review the correspondence related to the various FOI requests here.
1) – FOI request Number – 201-20-2015-112
Sharon Noble, Director, Coalition to Stop Smart Meters, has been investigating whether ITRON’s smart meters are causing and contributing to fires. Electrical engineers have identified several design flaws that could lead to fires . For example each meter has a lithium metal battery that explodes when heated or exposed to moisture. Laws have been broken. For example, the meters have not been certified to be safe. Meters have failed, melted and burned, but BC Hydro and the government continue to deny these incidents have occurred. No agency has the authority to investigate and demand changes because the government has demanded that the BC Utilities Commission and BC Safety Authority stay out of the smart meter program. If this program is so beneficial and the meters are safe, why is the government preventing investigations by the agencies responsible for our safety?