Michigan House committee hears presentation on EMP protection device from MidAmerica Group

Members of the Michigan House Committee on Homeland Security and Foreign Influence heard a presentation from Keith Mazarin, president of MidAmerica Group, about a device the company says absorbs and dissipates electromagnetic pulses, protecting electronics and infrastructure.

Mazarin told the committee his company began in lightning-protection work, brought technology from Spain to Michigan in 2012 and discovered during testing that related methods could stop and dissipate EMP energy. "This unit's been tested by several laboratories here in The United States to take up to a 300,000 volt pulse," Mazarin said, adding the device is passive and requires only a ground connection.

The device, referred to in the presentation as the V8 and also called "VMAX" in places, is described by Mazarin as an absorption-and-dissipation system that does not require external power. He said an individual unit covers roughly a 125-foot diameter and…