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Fluoride Throwdown! 

Wells Dunbar  Wed Dec 2, 12:35pm , 2009
Tags: Boards and Commissions, Water Utility, Environment


Tanks of hydrofluorosilicic acid, aka fluoride, at Ullrich Water Treatment Plant
Photo by John Anderson
As we’ve written, Austin’s water fluoridation practices inspire a small but rowdy band of opponents. City staff tried to assuage their concerns – or at least provide a pretext for closing the door on the discussion – in a report (PDF) defending the practice. Tonight, that report should receive a scrutinous vetting.

The city’s Environmental Board meets tonight, and the city's "Water Fluoridation Report" is on the agenda. Sources cited therein, like Austin/Travis County Health and Human Resources medical director Philip Huang, will be there to defend their findings, along with fluoridation opponents like Sierra Club scientist Neil Carman. But staffers should expect pushback not only from fluoridation foes, but possibly from the board itself. Back in August, the board asked the City Council to examine the issue, a task city staff ultimately took upon themselves. Thing is, the board doesn’t sound like they were kept in the loop. As board secretary Phil Moncada told us last week, “Why would we have moved forward asking council to do something, if it was already being done?"

The Environmental Board meets today, 6pm, at city hall. And judging from the animosity the subject’s inspired, fluoride won’t be the only volatile element in the room.

 

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COMMENTS
8
 
Dentists Reaffirm Fluoride Warning nyscof Dec 02, 2009 - 01:35 pm
According to a November 10, 2009 news release by the American Dental Association, "Infants who are only fed powdered and liquid concentrate formulas mixed with optimally fluoridated water (0.7 to 1.2 ppm) are likely to exceed a fluoride intake level established by the Institute of Medicine designed to reduce the risk of moderate to severe enamel fluorosis." (http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/topics/fluoride_research_study_response.pdf )Austin fluoridates at this level

Continued nyscof Dec 02, 2009 - 01:38 pm
Austin fluoridates at this level but doesn't pass this vital information on to new parents.Moderate fluorosis is described by the ADA as “All tooth surfaces affected, marked wear on biting surfaces, brown stain may be present†and severe fluorosis as “All tooth surfaces affected, discrete or confluent pitting, brown stain present.†(2) White spotted teeth reflect mild fluorosis. All infant formulas already contain fluoride levels that can potentially cause dental fluorosis in babies up to six-months-old whether the formula is ready-to-feed, concentrated, organic or mixed with non-fluoridated water because all formulas exceed the adequate fluoride intake for that age group (0.01 mg/L), according to a study published in the October 2009 Journal of the American Dental Association Up to 48% of school children have dental fluorosis – up to 4% of it severe, according to the Centers for Disease Control

Mark Dec 02, 2009 - 10:11 pm
Go to the Fluoride Action Networkhttp://www.fluoridealert.org/Read the responses to the Health Canada report section Fluoride in Drinking Water by Kathleen Thiessen, PhDPaul Connett, PhD, for Fluoride Action NetworkCarole ClinchRead the information in the Health Effects Database Look at the information about the thyroid gland and all the other sections.Watch the videos in the online video sectionLook at all the information at the Fluoride Action Network's site.

Mark Dec 02, 2009 - 10:13 pm
Read about fluoride at http://www.mercola.com

Mark Dec 02, 2009 - 10:15 pm
Read about fluoride at http://iaomt.com/

Mark Dec 02, 2009 - 10:17 pm
Fluoride Fatigue. Fluoride poisoning: is fluoride in your drinking water—and from other sources—making you sick? 2008. ISBN 978-0-473-13092-3 pauapress.com

EPA science unions ask halt JimSchultz Dec 03, 2009 - 04:10 pm
The EPA headquarters science union of Washington DC discovered in 1985 the fraud of fluoridation. Altered studies and reviews were discovered claiming safety and benefit that did not exist. Robert Carton Phd Union president loudly and clearly called it fraud and attempted to get management to correct the dishonesty. They refused any action. They sued in 1986 reporting 29 pages of violations of the SDWA but the federal court refused to hear. Congress has been asked to halt by ever growing number of EPA unions with 11 asking in 2005. No response yet. The 2006 NRC said current allowed levels were not protective(safe). The EPA management has refused to set a new lower level after 3 1/2 years. The current MAX is not safe yet they do not act. Several members of the NRC review thought below 1ppm and maybe ZERO was the safe level. The EPA union scientists did the math and risk for high use persons and susceptable persons and the correct science goal is ZERO. Exactly the same as other cumulative toxins arsenic and lead. These are the top contaminates of the fluoridation product. Phosphate mines smokestacks pollution scrubbers contaminated toxic sludge is used unprocessed. No government agency ever has even attempted chronic ingested benefit or safety studies. Not one. The health department will claim thousands of studies but ask for one and they will walk away from the bluff. AWWA b703-06 is the product and page 12 is the specification sheet with a full page of deadly contaminates. Many are radioactive as the mines also used to produce uranium from 7 recovery units with the last closing in 1998. All this uranium is left in the products unmentioned to the public. The AEC mine records show this data. http://www.fluoridealert.org has several documented stories with all the proof and pictures for those that prefer denial.Most review panel just cut and paste CDC and ADA public relations Puff lacking any science and very little truth. Listen to Bill Kiel PHD. as he actually has researched the science and has a power point showing peer reviewed current science. http://www.iaomt.org has a detailed science based fluoridation policy ans another reader mentioned. It beats anything the health department will ever say. Go to Bill Kiel please for the real science. Have a debate between Bill and the health department. The last thing the health department wants is open debate with real science. They are cut and paste experts only or they do ok at listing endorsements.
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Experts in the audience JimSchultz Dec 04, 2009 - 02:22 pm
I took the time to watch the DEC 2 video and discovered all the people at the podium seemed more informed then the Paid staff. Mr Haung impressed me the most in his devotion to useless Public relations responses. repeating the same unsupported data does not impress anyone nor the deer in the headlights look. Transparency and real peer reviewed current data seems a more professional method. Real debate and peer review science are not the method of most health department spokesmen. The do memorize talking points and lists of endorsements and avoid answering the questions if possible. This would be comical if the issue was not so important and such a risk to the poor this policy is aimed at. Please show the current data social inequitiy is decreased. The science I read only shows blacks and monorities damaged often double. Most are not aware of the risks to babies future teeth or kidneys with double the kidney damage and diabetes ugly facts. How could you claim benefit when double damage is more likely? I expect more from public employees. Michael Easley DDS Florida Oral Health said this year about those against fluoridation "Nobody drags anyone to a water faucet and makes them drink. Dig a Well. Move out of the country." This happens to children every day and the poor do not know the risk or can afford to avoid it. Informed consent only can be given if informed. Water has a implied warranty of safety and the SDWA should protect all from any amount of use or risk factors like being black or baby or kidney patient.



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