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HomeMy WebLinkAboutApril 10, 2012 Agenda Packet Revised AGENDA Tuesday, April 10, 2012 9:00 A.M. INFORMAL MEETING CALL TOORDER - COMMISSIONER DZADOVSKY, CHAIRMAN BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS 2. BOARD DISCUSSION ON FAC'S APRIL 12T" CONFERENCE CALL: HB 5301 (MEDICAID) 3. UPDATE ON ROBERT'S NURSERY ACQUISITION -ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE DIRECTOR 4. SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS OFFICE RELOCATION UPDATE -SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS -COUNTY STAFF 5. BOARD DISCUSSION ON SMART METERS (BACK-UP INFORMATION AVAILABLE ELECTRONICALLY) 6. ADJOURNMENT CONFERENCE ROOM #3 ROGER POITRAS ADMINISTRATION ANNEX 2300 VIRGINIA AVENUE, FORT PIERCE FLORIDA 34982 NOTICE: All Proceedings before this Board are electroniglly recorded. Any person who decides to appeal any action taken by the Board at these meetings will need a record of the proceedings and for such purpose may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made. Upon the request of any party to the proceedings, individuals testifying during a hearing will be sworn in. Any party to the proceedings will be granted the opportunity to cross-examine any individual testifying during a hearing upon request. Anyone with a disability requiring acxommodation to attend this meeting should contact the St. Lucie County Risk & Benefits Manager at (772) 462-1404 or TDD (772) 462-1428 at least forty-eight (48) hours prior to the meeting. ~5 Item No. 2 TUP PRIORITY REPLY TOP NEEDED pRIORffY Barbara Felton From: Valerie,Rogers <vrogers@fl-counties.com> on behalf of Chris Holley <cholley@fl- counties.com> Sent: Monday, April 02; 2012 4:15 PM To: DIRECTORS Subject: Notice of Special Meeting of the FAC Board of Directors Attachments: 4.2.12 Lttr to Call Special BOD Mtg.doc; Agenda -Special BOD Meeting 4.12.12.doc ~. MEMORANDUM TO: FAC Board of Directors - - FROM: Christopher L. Holley, Executive Director ~'LC7~.~~7,l~ ~C7tJZVT~S DATE: April 2, 2012 litr,9bouG~tcrista RE: Board of Directors' Special Meeting via Conference Call According to Article IV, Section 4.3(B) of the FAC Bylaws, the President has called a special meeting of the FAC Board of Directors via conference call on Thursday, April 12, 2012 at 4:00 p.m. (EDT). The call in number is 888.808.6959 and the pass code is 7645102. Please find attached a copy of the president's request and the meeting agenda. There may be votes taken. Please RSVP your attendance to Valerie Rogers at vrogers(a~fi-counties.com or by phone at 850.922.4300. Should you need further assistance, please feel free to contact me. Thank you.and I look forward to talking to each of you on April 12. CLH/vir Attachments cc: FAC Directors ~~~ APR 2 2012 8oorc~ oFCovn~y Commiss~orl Lhsmct .s 1 April 2, 2012 Mr. Christopher L. Holley Executive Director Florida Association of Counties, Inc. 100 South Monroe Street Tallahassee, Florida 32301 RE: Call for Emergency Meeting of the Board of Directors Dear Mr. Holley: As President of the Florida Association of Counties, Inc. this letter is being filed with you to notice the Directors of a Special Meeting of the Board of Directors to be held on Thursday, April 12, 2012 at 4:00 p.m. (EDT) via conference call. There are two agenda items. One is to seek Board action on the filing of suit against the state, challenging the constitutionality of HB 5301 (Medicaid). The second is to have additional discussion of our involvement in the Amendment 4 campaign. Please notify the Board of Directors of this meeting in accordance with the Association's Bylaws. If any votes are necessary, they may be permitted over the telephone; however, in accordance with the Bylaws, only those members who are present and participating in the telephonic Board meeting can vote. No proxy voting will be permitted. Prepare a notice to the Board members of this special meeting. Thank you. Sincerely, C Doug Smith President, Florida Association of Counties cc: FAC Executive Committee f ~C~~'I' FAC Board of Directors Thursday, April 12, 2012 4:00 p.m. (EDT) Dial-in Number: 888.808.6959 Conference Code: 7645102 AGENDA 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. ROLL CALL 3. BUSINESS a. Medicaid Legal Challenge b. Amendment 4 Commissioner Doug Smith, Martin FAC President 4. ADJOURNMENT ~~=., ~. ~'~~'r;' , ~° ~y~E~ ~~._<: ...........r ,...... ~,~a~wn Item No. 5 -Board Discussion on Smart Meters BOCC Informal Meeting on April 10, 2012 ENERGY, FLORIDA ,< The information technologies that have done so much to improve how we live and work are now being applied to improving the nation's electric infrastructure. Through its Energy Smart Florida initiative, FPL is investing in advanced smart grid technologies to help keep. service reliability high over the long term and give customers more information to better manage their energy use and monthly bills. FPL's top priority is delivering electric service reliably and safely. For years, we have implemented policies and procedures to protect our networks and customer information. This is equally true of our investments in a smarter electric grid. Enhanced information and data exchange are at the core of this initiative, and that is why we have engineered strong privacy protections into our smart grid technologies. In fact, FPL's information privacy standards are more stringent than current industry standards. The information we collect: Customers provide us with information when they open an account, participate in an FPL program or use a service we provide. We use this customer data primarily to administer their accounts, manage the efficient operation of the electric grid, provide customers with current and new services, and for other business purposes. The core information we collect includes: Customer's name, service and mailing address, phone and email addresses, and Social Security Number Billing-related information including payment history, electric usage data and the customer's power outage history ~. r~.z Energy Smart Florida FPL is investing in smart grid technologies as part of our commitment to building a stronger, smarter, cleaner and more efficient electric infrastructure. Smart grid technologies will help customers better manage their monthly bills and help FPL keep service reliability high. www. EnergySmartFloritla.com FPL's Stance on Privacy: "At FPL, we're not only obligated by law to protect and safeguard customer data, we consider it a top priority. Looking to other industries as a guide, we will ensure appropriate cyber protections are in place to prevent unauthorized individuals from gaining access to customer data, we will be transparent in how data are used by FPL, and we will continue to honor consumers' rights to control how data are shared." -Phil Slack, senior manager, enterprise architecture, FPL Guided by Other Industries: "Even privacy issues that seem distinct to the smart grid actually have parallels in ... just about any system that's been digitized, from medical records to electronic mail, we have plenty of experience.,." -John Timmer, Writer, ars technica, and Faculty, ComeU University FPL has engineered strong privacy protection measures -- including advanced encryption (coding) technologies -- into its smart grid system to safeguard the privacy of customer data. FPL's smart grid initiative, which includes the installation of 4.5 million smart meters, is enabling us to provide customers with additional services and give them more control over their energy use. The smart meter collects the customer's energy use data, encrypts (codes) it to ensure privacy and transmits it to FPL via a secure wireless network. After the smart meter has been activated, customers can conveniently access FPL's online energy dashboard and see information about their energy usage. They can use this data to actively manage their electricity use and save on their monthly bills if they so choose. Protecting customer privacy is paramount: Some customers have told us that they have received factually inaccurate information from third-party sources regarding smart meters and the privacy of customer information. Our "defense-in-depth" approach safeguards this data: » No customer-identifying information -such as names and addresses - is stored in the meters or transmitted across the network, » Customers' electricity use data is encrypted (coded) -using the same methods as Internet banking and ATM machines -before it is transferred across our secure smart grid network. » The data we collect is used to manage our customers' accounts. FPL does not "monitor" how customers use energy. The smart meter does not store or transmit any information about who customers are, where they live or what they're doing. In addition, the smart meter does not record how customers use electricity or what appliances they use. Working with top experts: In addition to performing our own comprehensive research and evaluation, FPL engages third- party experts to conduct tests and analyses to validate that communications, systems and processes operate securely. For example, we seek out the top experts in the world to apply best practices from other industries-including telecommunications, banking and e-commerce -.and apply them to smart grid management, FPL works closely with strategic partners such as Cisco Systems and GE to employ the best practices they have developed in securing other critical infrastructures. We have also worked with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Edison Electric Institute, and the Utilities Communications Association International Users Group to ensure that strong data privacy measures are part of our smart meter deployment. Florida Power & Light Company Nationally, the electric utility industry has made consumer privacy atop priority. Because privacy rules vary from state to state, the NIST is developing privacy guidelines for the utility industry, using the Generally Accepted Privacy Principles (GAPP) as a guide. . Our approach: These principles guide FPL's smart grid privacy practices: It is our obligation to safeguard customer data. We take this obligation seriously and employ safeguards that are stricter than current industry standards. Our approach incorporates multiple layers of defense across the entire system to assure the protec- tion of our networks and customer data. Customers are in control: FPL acts as a responsible custodian of the customer. data we collect. We support and comply with Florida laws that bar third-party access to individual customer data unless it is necessary for the legitimate business needs of the utility, the customer explicitly requests or approves the shar- ing of their data, or it is required by-law, We are transparent: FPL is transparent with customers about our Privacy Policy and how it protects their personal information, (See http://www.fpl.com/contents/privacy_policy.shtml) For More Information: U.S. Department of Energy, "Data Access & Privacy Issues Related to Smart Grid Technologies," October 5, 2010 http://www.gc.energy.gov/documents/Broadband_Report_Data_Privacy_10 5,pdf Flodda Power & L/ght Companyls the largest electric uh7ity in Flodda and one of the largest rate-regulated uh7itfes in the United States. FPL serves approximatety 4.5 million customer accounts in F/edda and is a leading employer in the state with more than 10,000 employees. The company consis(endy outperforms nadonal averages lorservice reliability while customer bills are bekw the nahbnal average. A clean energy leader, FPL has one of the lowest emissions profiles and one of the leading energy el/iciency pmgmms among utilities nationwide. FPL is a subsidiary ofJUno Beach, Fla.-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE• NEED. For more inlormatlon, visit www.FPL.com. Acknowledgement & Disclaimer This matedal is based upon work supported by the Department of Energy underAward Number Df•OE0000211. Dlsc/aimer.• This report was prepared as an account o/work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Govemment nor any agency thereof, noranyof their employees, makes any warranty, express orimplied, or assumes any legal liability orresponsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any in(ormatfon, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, orrepresents that its use would not infringe pdvatety owned dghts. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufaclurei orotherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply ifs endorsement, recommendation, or latrodng by the United States Government ar any agency themol. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or regect those of the United States Govemment orany agency thereof. L~J Please recycle. 27113-1t ~` ~~~~~.,. r, FPL customers have told us that updating the power grid to ensure reliable electric service is a top priority. We are responding with investments to make the grid even more reliable, as well as smarter, cleaner and more efficient. FPL's smart grid initiative is helping us keep service reliability among the highest in the nation (99.98%). As the smart technologies we're installing become operational, customers will experience fewer power outages, smaller outages and faster service restoration when an outage does occur. The technologies also enable FPL to provide customers with other benefits, including more control over their energy use and monthly bills than ever before, greater convenience and improved customer service. Smart meters are an essential part of this system and are necessary to provide these important benefits. Some customers have asked us about false rumors they've seen on the internet claiming, among other things, that smart meters allow the government to spy on customers and that they amount to "illegal search and seizure." There is no credible basis for these statements. Consumers deserve accurate, complete information, not false information based on rumor and hearsay. In the interest of accuracy, let's examine each of the myths and compare them to the facts: /~:: ENERGY FLORIDA Lice the old Mechanical meters, smart meters measure how much energy customers use, not /~owthey uSe enel"gy. Sn"lal"t meters Cion't Stol"e Or tl"aI1S1111t ally information about who our customers al"e, where they live or what tfley're doing, nor does it know what appliances alley LISP,. Myth Fact Big Brother Monitoring Your Life False. Like the old mechanical meters, smart meters measure how much energy "The devices will know when you are at home, what customers use, not how they use energy, The meters are not "surveillance devices," The appliances you are using, what room you are in, smart meter does not store or transmit any information about who our customers are, personal habits, etc., allowing for detailed surveillance , where they live or what they're doing, nor does it know what appliances they use. of your personal life. These are surveillance devices." False. The use of smart meters is not wiretapping, and is completely egal in all respects The use of these meters has been approved by the Florida Pubec Service Wiretapping Commission the admirnstrative agency that directly regulates FPL and haslunsdiction i his i~~ ~ f ~rrn ~~i ~~I~ ,r~l ~:,!n,tapping; to make such determinations. Just as traditional mechanical meters have always done, smart meters measure he amount of energy used at a property aspart of a customer's service agreemenfto purchase electricity from the utility False. FPL's top priority is delivering electric service reliably and safely -this includes safeguarding our customers' privacy and protecting our networks and customer data from cyber threats. We have detailed, openly published policies and procedures to protect customer information, In fact, we employ safeguards that are stricter than current Consumer Privacy /Personal Data industry standards. See FPL's privacy policy at: http://www.fpl.com/contents/privacy_ "Data about the occupant's daily habits are collected policy.shtml. and stored in databases that may be sold to others and/ Our customer's energy data is only used to manage their FPL accounts and the electric or accessed by unauthorized parties." grid. We support and comply with Florida laws that prohibit third-party access to individual customer data unless the customer explicitly requests or approves the sharing of their data, it is necessary for the legitimate business needs of the utility, or it is required by law. This is consistent with how we have protected customer data generated by the older electromechanical meters. fVlyth Hackers/Criminals/Cybelr Security "Since the meters are wireless, they are exposed to possible hackers and/or terrorist acts. , , .The. signals maybe intercepted by criminalsand used to commit crimes against occupants." Fact False. In the first place, nocustomer-identifying information is stored in the smart meter or sent across the network. Further, the energy-use data that is measured by smart meters is encrypted (coded) using the same method as online banking ahd ATM machines. It is then transmitted to FPLvia a secure wireless network that complies with the industry's highest standards far cyber security. Our approach incorporatesbest practices from'other industries and multiple layers of defense across the entire system to protect customer data. Lack of disclosure False. n~l~~~,,i~~~ ~,~ ~,~~ ~~~,~, ~ L,~~; I~~~I ~~i,i~ ~::! ~ i.~~,~~5 . ~~~,~~~ ~~~ 1~1 ~ ,'ou Il~~~,~i,~ tir[~dr~l~ in.rtr~ `N~~'ln~ l~i~~-p httpai~r~~..fpL~um~aml/mdtx.shtml In "~i011' ril!I'i ill L 1:; ~( ~~I , .~~i);i ~ UIJ lih.:.r iil I`~ ll~,,.{~ ~ - ~Il~ U; I'll JI ~,Ofl~ ~~.i~? Lil 1J.J4. tp~ 1,0111~P11BfCJySlllflrff~Oflljfl, Uf ~ilf ;fll8ft i.~~Y,J":I [~ u~, u.~s'~ul~ .ipnlillili~ , ~I ti ~~ n~,c[ ~~'~ i I ~~,~~u~~;~~1, ~'~r:;l ~,~u•,,h_~ru ~~,nr~ rr; hilp i,~,d!a~•d.fpLc~ini/~mi'ga.shlml Unreasonable search and seizure/4th Amendment False. The 4th Amendment prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures by the government. It has no bearing on smart meters, which are provided to customers at no "This invasion of privacy violates the 4th Amendment charge as part of their service agreement with the utility. of the US Constitution." 9 ~vuu~.~~L.c~~n/er~ergyssTS~rf~io~°atla ® Please recycle. 27039_7108 ~ ~ .~~ ~ ~. . Y ENERG ,~ ~. ~c ~ ar~ ~ a --~~ FLORIDA aH s~~~ ~r~~;~i~~. ~~.~~r~~~~~~, ~~~~~~r~~, l~.r~~~~ ~~~ fin: ~~~~ FPL is investing in smart grid technologies as part of our commitment to building a stronger, smarter, cleaner and more efficient electrical infrastructure. Smart meters are a key part of the system. Some customers have asked whether there are potential health effects of electronic and magnetic fields (EMF), or more specifically the radio frequencies (RF) emitted from smart meters. We want to assure our customers that FPL's smart meters comply fully with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) health and safety standards. How they work: Most electricity meters in place today use old technology, with either moving mechanical parts or electronic recorders that lack the ability to communicate remotely. With these older meters, utility meter readers must visit customers' properties monthly to read the devices visually, New smart meters record your electricity usage digitally and use small, low-power radios to send. the information securely to FPL. This makes it possible for us to deliver a variety of benefits to you and all customers, including greater reliability and enabling you to take more control over your energy bills. Unlike many other common household devices that transmit via RF, smart meter radios only transmit data in short bursts lasting just a few seconds. In fact, after the initial performance test is complete, the radios in smart meters are inactive as much as 99 percent of the time. That means they give off a fraction of RF emissions compared to cell phones or other common household devices. (Refer to Graph 1) Understanding Radio Frequency: Radio frequency (RF) is a term used to describe both man-made and naturally occurring energy associated with electromagnetic waveforms in the range of about 30 kHz to 300 GHz, Ambient RF comes from many sources every day. Some common sources of RF are: » TV over-the-air broadcast » Cellular phone transmissions » Wireless computer networks » HAM radios » AM/FM radio stations » Over-the-air communication services (police, walkie-talkies, pagers, CB radios) . , .according to arecently-released independent report ~trom the California ~OUnCii 011 ~ClenGe aild ~echnoiogy, Which compiled a lot of the already-available research done on the slrlbject, there are no known hearth risi~s assaciated With living With a smart meter." - "Smart ~lleters Are Not a Health Risl<, The End," !"he New York nines, January 13, 2011 Smart Grid: What's In It for You? » ControL• After FPL completes the transition to smart meters in your area, you will be able to go online and see how much energy you are using by the hour, day or ' month.-.helping you make more informed choices about your energy use and saving money, if you choose, You can also see an estimate of your next electric bill based. on your current usage. Reliability; When smart grid technologies are fully. deployed, we'll know when your power is out - you uvon't have to call us: We'll be able to' prevent many outages before hey occur, and restore service faster when they do occur. » Convenience: We'll be able to read your meter without visiting yourproperty every month, though we'll still need occasional access for routine maintenance. Affordability: Long term, our investments in smart grid will help us achieve efficiencies throughout he electrical ystem. By operating efficiently, we're keeping our customers' bills among the lowest in the state. » Environment: In the future, smart grid technologies will help us bring more renewable energy to the grid and help to encourage more widespread use of electric vehicles. For more information: www.FPL.com/energysmart RF and Health: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has set limits on the maximum permissible exposure for emissions of RF-emitting devices. These limits are well below the point at which known biological impacts occur, and the smart meters being installed by FPL operate at levels that are hundreds of times lower than the FCC limit, Graph 1: Comparison of RF Exposure Levels from Various Sources soda 5000 ..._.---_--_-- ~ . _,- 4000 _-___.._------ 3000 __... __ _ 2000 ~ 1000 ~~ ~` c~ ,~, ~ ~,~ Q'~ 5 y~~~ J `~ ~ Q ~ ~ ~ ~ j ~ n O Q ~J a ~ `~ ~~ ~ 3 ~~ ~ ~ ~ Y axis: Power Density microwatts per square centimeter This chart compares the RF levels from common electronics, Smart meters emit RF at much lower levels than other devices such as cell phones and microwave ovens. Note that the smart meter figures in this chart are based on an "always on" state to represent the hypothetical maximum case. However, the radios in smart meters are Inactive as much as 99 percent of the time, so actual RF emissions would be a tiny fraction of what is shown here. Source: California Council on Science and Technology, January 2011 Experts Agree -Smart meters emit far less RF than many existing household devices. Maine Center for Disease ConfroL• This Maine state government agency concluded there is "no consistent or convincing evidence to support a concern for health effects related to the use of radio frequency in the range of frequencies and power used by smart meters." Regarding a possible health condition called "electromagnetic hypersensitivity" (EHS), the study concluded that "well controlled and double-blind studies have shown that symptoms were not correlated" with electromagnetic frequency exposure. California Cotmci! on Science and Technology: This independent organization, sponsored in part by the state's major universities - including the University of California, California Institute of Technology, University of Southern California and others -and prestigious federal laboratories, conducted an extensive literature review and interviewed dozens of experts, concluding: "Wireless smart meters, when installed and properly maintained, result in much smaller levels of radio frequency (RF) exposure than many existing common household electronic devices, particularly cell phones and microwave ovens." Many factors at work: The following table summarizes the factors that affect one's leve(of exposure to RF from smart meters: Factor Comment FPL's smart meters operate on the same frequencies Signal (the 900 megahertz ISM band) as many common frequency household devices like mobile phones, cordless phones, baby monitors, remote controls and garage door openers. Si nal 1~leasured in micro~:vatts per square centimeter g TN','/cm~), smart meters' signal strength is very small sfrength compared to the other devices listed in Graph 1 ~ The (Power signal strength is affected by other variables such as Density) distance, and barriers such as ~^~alls Distance The signal strength becomes weaker as you move from farther. away from the device, For example, at 8 feet signal away from the meter, the signal strength would be 1 /64th of that what it would beat 1 foot. SrnartaT~eter radios transmit datai,~i very short bursts Signal lasting just a few seconds. In fact, on average they do duration' not trarsmit data and could be idle -meaning they don't emit any RF - as much as 99'percent of the time. "Thermal effects" refers to biological effects from an Thermal increase in body heat that can result from exposure effects to extremely high RF intensities. However, smart me- on health ters operate at a frequency and power level far below the level needed to produce these effects. Non- Independent studies have shown there is no proven ' thermal cause-and-effect relationship between non-thermal effects health effects and the low-power RF exposure in the frequency ranges used by FPL Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI): Responding to concerns that RF emissions could be too high if smart meters are grouped together in apartment buildings, EPRI tested RF levels at a distance of 1 foot from a bank of 10 smart meters operating continuously. The resulting exposures were 92 percent below the FCC limit. Bottom line: Smart meters emit radio frequencies intermittently and at much lower levels than many other safe RF-emitting devices. Sources: » California Council on Science and Technology, "Health Impacts of Radio Frequency from Smart Meters;' January 2011, http://www.ccst.us/publications12011/2011 smartA,pdf » Maine Center for Disease Control, "Executive Summary of Review of Health Issues Related to Smart Meters," November 8, 2010, http://www.maine.gov/tlhhs/boh/documents/Smart_Meters_ Maine_CDC_Executive_Sum mary_11 _08_10.pdf » Electric Power Research Institute, "Radio Frequency Exposure Levels from Smart Meters,' February 2011, www.eprl.com . ~r( - _..- -1 . -- - ~ooo ~ ~ _. ~ 4 ~ 0.2 .t ~~ Questions and l4nswers What are ISM bands? The industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) radio bands are saturated with many different kinds of electronic devices from many different manufacturers. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has designated the ISM frequency bands for equipment or appliances that are designed to generate and use RF energy. The frequency ranges were opened by the FCC for wireless communications in 1985, and since then there has been a steadily increasing stream of devices occupying the bands. Their exact ranges are as follows: Frequencyy Range Center Frequency (MHz) (MHz) ISM900 902-928 MHz 915 MHz ISM2400 2400-2500 MHz 2450MHz ; Do smart meters produce the same kind of radiation as x-rays? No. X-.rays and gamma rays are types of ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation should not be confused with the lower-energy, non-ionizing radiation vvith respect to possible biological effects. Ionization is a process by which electrons are stripped from atoms and molecules. Smart meters produce non-ionizing radiation in the form of RF energy. This process, which can be associated with x-rays but not with RF transmissions, can produce molecular changes that can lead to damage in biological tissue, including effects on DNA, the genetic material of living organisms. This process requires interaction with high levels of electromagnetic energy. The energy levels associated with RF are not great enough to cause the ionization of atoms and molecules. Other types of non-ionizing radiation include visible and infrared light. Do smart meters transmit microwave energy? No. FPL's smarf meters do not use microwave frequencies to communicate with the network. They use alow-power 900 megahertz (MHz) radio. While the smart meter has a 2.4 gigahertz (GHz) radio, it is not used for network communications. It is currently turned off and would only be used for communications with customers who have volunteered to take part in a special pilot of in-home technologies. Additionally, the radios in the smart meters are low power, and unlike many other devices that transmit RF, they operate intermittently and transmit and receive data in very short pulses lasting just a few seconds. Do smart meters create electronic and magnetic fields (EMF)? The use of electricity in our everyday lives creates power frequency (60Hz) EMF. It is present wherever there is electrical wiring. Common sources: » Wiring in our homes, schools, hospitals and businesses » Power lines and utility facilities that deliver electricity Electrical appliances and equipment we use at work and home Some of the most prestigious U.S. and international scientific organizations have evaluated the EMF research. None of these organizations has found that exposure to power frequency EMF causes or contributes to cancer or any other disease or illness. Their reviews generally conclude that the scientific studies overall have not demonstrated that EMF causes or contributes to any type of cancer or other disease, ® Please recycle. 2007]_1105 " ~