Healthy Bellies: What is the city afraid of? Attempts to block input in PURPA meetings

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Action Alert: PURPA Meetings

City attempts to prevent NSMA from introducing Expert Testimony at PURPA Hearing on Monday 3/4 3-7 pm.

PURPA hearing are required and should have been conducted in 2009 when the City received the DOE grant to help fund the smart meters. They are designed to allow consumers to weigh in on whether the city should accept funding and are willing to adopt the standards proposed by the utility.

This move is the City's attempt to bar public access to participate in these proceedings. Again.

Click here to see NSMA's Petition to Intervene along with a highly credentialed list of expert testimony and significant credible documentation on the risks.

The City has filed a motion to deny petition to intervene on the basis that NSMA is not a utility customer, despite the fact that Jen Stahl and Kim Bendis, named as petitioners, are both utility customers.

Why is this significant?

1) The City did not follow PURPA guidelines prior to accepting the DOE grant as required by law. This requires utilities to hold public meetings and allow for public comment before adopting federal standards set forth in the Energy Act of 2005 and the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.

This requirement should've been done 3 years ago.

2) In deciding to adopt federal standards the above mentioned acts do not make this a mandatory program, nor do they suggest a fee based opt out program. It specifically states "electric utility shall offer...and provide individual customers upon request..." Click here for excerpt.

3) This follows a long line of continued interference by the city in allowing the public to weigh in on very important issues that effect our city.

No public hearings.
No Town Hall Meeting.
Non-binding referendum blocked.
Multiple Open Meetings Act violations.
Refusal to adopt no-cost analog opt out.
Not following Energy Act standards.

DOE contract does not require 100% compliance and acknowledges that residents need to be informed and that informing them could be risky, slow the adoption or stop it all together.

Who decides who can intervene? The City.
Who is holding the meetings? The City.
Who is afraid that the experts and attorney cross examination would reveal that this is a scam? The City.

Critical Action:

Submit your comments through March 19 and attend the hearings:

1) Use the following statement or submit your own indicating your stance on the smart meter issue. Statement must include your reasons and sources.

Email napervillesmartmeters@yahoo.com to request this document in word format that can be easily altered and submitted via email.

2) Email statement to lafeberp@naperville.il.us and napervillesmartmeters@yahoo.com Please copy us so we have a record of all statements submitted.

3) Attend hearing on March 3 (3-7 pm) and March 19 (10-4pm). You are encouraged to comment publicly at these meetings or simply read your statement. 10 min limit allowed. Meetings at in Council Chamber 400 S Eagle St.

Don't give up your rights.

City of Naperville = CON

Don't be CONned or bullied into giving up your freedom.

Donate Now

NSMA is a grass roots, community-funded organization that relies on donations from supporters like you to continue our mission of educating and advocating for Naperville residents and all of America to have the right to choose to retain their analog meters.

Help us raise $25,000 to support the active federal lawsuit filed in December 2011 and the volunteer efforts to educate the community.

Please donate now. Email NapervilleSmartMeters@yahoo.com to volunteer.

Naperville Smart Meter Awareness is a non-profit 501(c)(4) group of concerned citizens educating the public about the risks of wireless smart meters. We are comprised of lawyers, technology professionals, health advocates, accountants, business owners and parents in our community.

Smart meters are currently being installed in Naperville despite a complaint for federal injunction and on-going investigations by the Illinois Attorney General for Open Meetings Act violations by the City of Naperville in conjunction with this project.

Smart meters pose risks in the areas of privacy, costs, security, safety and health and are not a federally mandated program. Our mission is to educate the residents of Naperville by bringing all pertinent information to the public and in doing so, advocate for a smarter solution in Naperville.