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City of Richmond urges anti-Smart Meter campaigners to direct energy at province

Richmond's provincial politicians and B.C. premier had better watch out - there's a Richmond-born Smart Meter protest coming soon to their doors.

Richmond's provincial politicians and B.C. premier had better watch out - there's a Richmond-born Smart Meter protest coming soon to their doors.

The City of Richmond - in response to complaints from a delegation of residents last month - will call for a moratorium on the continuing controversial roll-out of the BC Hydro Smart Meter program, amid health and privacy concerns.

However, in recognition that the city, or even BC Hydro, has absolutely no power to halt the program, city council is urging people who don't want the new device to heap pressure onto their provincial counterparts.

"Our bylaws will not hold up, it doesn't matter how many we bring in," Coun. Evelina Halsey-Brandt said.

"The province has all the power. Contact your MLAs and start writing them, they should have to answer to the people."

Other cities across the Lower Mainland have called for a moratorium on the program, despite the B.C. government dismissing a similar resolution passed earlier this year at the UBCM (United British Columbian Municipalities) conference.

Last month, city staff were asked to look into how the city could get involved with at least slowing down the Smart Meter program.

But they discovered that, not only does the city have no authority, even BC Hydro has little power to halt the installations, as they are bound by the Clean Energy Act, which requires them to install and operate the new meters in every private home in the province by the end of 2012.

Coun. Ken Johnston, like everyone else on council, supported the moratorium, not least because he returned home one day, without warning, to find he had a new meter.

"It's more of a bullying thing here, it's the freedom of choice thing that wrangles me," said Johnston.

As per a request at Monday's general purposes meeting from resident and local campaigner Carol Day, the city, as part of it's moratorium call to the province, will ask that Richmond homeowners who don't already have a Smart Meter be allowed to opt out of the program.

The staff report also contained input from Richmond's chief medical health officer, James Lu.

Lu said in regard to the health concerns from wireless waves emitting from the new meters, that he will "continue to monitor the scientific research on radio frequency fields in collaboration with other health professionals."

The committee's moratorium decision is expected to be approved next week, at the last full meeting of the current council before the Nov. 19 election.