Contact Us   •   About Us   •   Advertise   •   Sitemap   Subscriber Services   •   Skagit Valley Herald E-Edition  
RE Weekly Open House Map    
 News
      Search goskagit:        
State advice sought on fluoride

Franny White
Skagit Valley Herald
November 28, 2007 - 04:45 PM


Comments (81)   |   Email Story   |   Print Story   |   Share This Story: [?] del.icio.us Digg Google Bookmarks NewsVine StumbleUpon YahooMyWeb
ADVERTISEMENT:
Six months after Skagit County ordered water fluoridation, the county’s lead prosecutor is asking the state Attorney General’s Office if the county has authority to force the issue.

In a letter dated Monday, Prosecuting Attorney Rich Weyrich asked Attorney General Rob McKenna to determine whether the county Board of Health has the authority to order a public utility district to add fluoride to its water system.

Saying fluoride can prevent dental cavities, the county commissioners acted as the county Board of Health in May when they voted 2-1 to require Skagit County Public Utilities District to fluoridate its main water system.

The PUD supplies drinking water to about 65,000 customers in Mount Vernon, Burlington and Sedro-Woolley through its primary water source, the man-made Judy Reservoir southeast of Sedro-Woolley.

Chief Civil Deputy Attorney Will Honea said his office decided to request the opinion when it could not find “clear legal answers” as to whether some of the PUD’s fluoridation concerns had legal merit.

“Rather than fight about it, let’s go get the best answer we can get short of a binding court decision,” Honea said Tuesday.

* For the full story, see today’s edition of the Skagit Valley Herald. Subscribers can also see the complete story online at the Herald’s E-edition.

1535
More from news
Most Recent

Most Commented

Most Read



Report Violation Posted by *shrug*  on  November 28, 2007 - 05:52 PM

You keep fighting, PUD!  Even if it’s for totally different reasons than mine, resist that fluoride as long and hard as you possibly can!  I’ll be cheering you on!

Report Violation Posted by Ifarm  on  November 28, 2007 - 08:11 PM

Stop PUD on this fluoride issue. This is not their call. They can be sued and will surely lost even if they succeed.

Report Violation Posted by Microsoft Retiree  on  November 28, 2007 - 09:07 PM

Ifarm, the commissioners could be sued if they take the action of putting fluoride into the water—for significant direct and indirect damages if the fluoride results in high lead levels. The cost of remediation, cost of special education for any kid found with educational issues and a high lead level.

The PUD could be **fined** for refusing to do it—after a Court hearing (which could be appealed by both sides until it reaches the Supreme Count of the US, some 10 years and a small fortune, from now) if they cite potential violation of EPA lead levels for drinking water.

We could see it built and the *moment* it is put into operation, anyone could file an injunction in a Federal Court seeking to stop it because it may cause inappropriate lead levels in drinking water.

Report Violation Posted by Ifarm  on  November 28, 2007 - 09:48 PM

Like other public utility districts in our state, I wonder who audits and oversee them? I know a couple of PUD’s that got in trouble due to their bad decisions.

Report Violation Posted by Microsoft Retiree  on  November 28, 2007 - 10:24 PM

I just check the National Institute of Health database and found “Prevalence of children with elevated blood lead (PbB>10microg/dL) is about double that in non-fluoridated communities” PMID: 17420053, what is more concerning is it’s citation that “In 1999 and 2000, senior EPA personnel admitted they knew of no health effects studies” on fluoride. Kudos to the PUD for being responsible.

Report Violation Posted by tea_time  on  November 29, 2007 - 10:42 AM

“Saying fluoride can prevent dental cavities, the county commissioners acted as the county Board of Health in May when they voted 2-1 to require Skagit County Public Utilities District to fluoridate its main water system.”

Scientific studies have shown time and time again that the risks of fluoridation are far greater than any potential benefit.  What information are the commissioners looking to when making this determination?

Report Violation Posted by Don Johnson  on  November 29, 2007 - 11:23 AM

“What information are the [impostor] commissioners looking to when making this determination?”

In a word: $$$

The evidence strongly suggests that this is a business deal, nothing more.

Report Violation Posted by tea_time  on  November 29, 2007 - 11:59 AM

What evidence, what deal?  Please go on and provide more information, Don.

Report Violation Posted by Don Johnson  on  November 29, 2007 - 01:00 PM

Review the information at http://www.skagitcleanwater.org/fluoride-101/gih-tracy-garland.html . By her own admission, WDSF CEO Tracy Garland confesses that the push for fluoridation is about corporate giving, “adventures in public policy grantmaking,” disguised as public health concerns. Long before fluoridation opponents had any warning, the WDSF was already on a “shopping spree” throughout Skagit County, rounding up as many so-called professionals as possible who could parrot the phrase “safe and effective” over and over with nothing other than endorsements to back it up. The county commission is listed as one of their stops. Impostor commissioner Dahlstedt’s solid support of fluoridation is a matter of record in the SVH as early as June 2005.

Report Violation Posted by Lee_USA  on  November 29, 2007 - 05:30 PM

I’d gladly pay a dollar a day to keep fluoride out of the Public water supply.

Report Violation Posted by Lee_USA  on  November 29, 2007 - 05:52 PM

ps.....the toxic waste two of the Skagit County Commissioners want to put into our water supply ISN’T the dental fluoride you find in toothpaste but the residue left over from chemical fertilizer plants.

From the “Fluoridation Engineering Manual” by E. Bellack, Report EPA-520/9-74-022:

Water purveyors typically add a fluoride in the form of sodium hexafluorosilicate or hexafluorosilicic acid, at a level between 0.7 and 1.2 ppm. These compounds originate as side products from the processing ("defluorination") of phosphate ores to prepare fertilizers, food additives, etc.

Report Violation Posted by tea_time  on  November 29, 2007 - 07:36 PM

Thanks, Don.  I’d love to see Mr. Dahlstedt speak publicly on the data that justifies his solid support.

Also, great information, Lee. haha We’ll pay a dollar to keep fluoride OUT of public water.

Report Violation Posted by Jo Roark  on  November 29, 2007 - 07:37 PM

If its unlawful for the PUD to accept money from the WDSF, then its UNLAWFUL!
What does Honea expect, the attorney general to re-writethe constitution? If this is the case then the Attorney General will end up breaking his own oath of office to uphold the constitution.

Report Violation Posted by Jo Roark  on  November 29, 2007 - 07:46 PM

I went to the PUD meeting last Tuesday and we need alot more people to show up that are anti-fluoride! It seems that the meeting between the PUD commissioners and the County Commissioners will take place on December 22nd at the PUD. For anyone that wants to show up make sure to check the PUD website just in case they change the date.
Since fluoridation is suppose to cost at least 3 million and the WDSF is only putting in 1 million, who are the county commissioners targeting to pay the other 2 million? THIS has never been answered, if its the ratepayers then we will be paying way more than pennies per month, like we were told.

Report Violation Posted by Jo Roark  on  November 29, 2007 - 08:05 PM

Dahlstedt will never speak publicly on the fluoride issue because he doesn’t have any scientific data to back up his claims.

Report Violation Posted by Don Johnson  on  November 29, 2007 - 08:51 PM

To get an idea of just how desperate these people are to have our water polluted, take a look at the wording in Resolution #20070284 at http://www.skagitcleanwater.org/law-library/2007-11-27--AGO-Request-Signed.pdf . Drafted by Weyrich’s office, they had the intellectual deceit to claim that dental caries qualify as an “infectious, contagious disease.” That allowed the Board of Health to exercise its so-called “police power,” which in this case has been perverted in order to fit somebody’s business plan, not to address a health crisis that is treatable in this manner. Indeed, the bulk of the “whereas’” are works of science fiction that have been debunked by the National Research Council. The welfare of infants who are harmed by fluoride has been completely ignored.

Report Violation Posted by Don Johnson  on  November 29, 2007 - 09:13 PM

At several County Commissioners’ hearings, County Health Officer (cough cough) Howard Leibrand has presented false testimony in support of water fluoridation. According to him, it is only fear mongers and kooks who believe that the thyroid gland is affected by fluoride. Since fluoride was once the standard treatment for an overactive thyroid, any middle school science student could tell Leibrand what it does to a healthy one! Those who are borderline hypothyroid are going to become ill and probably given Prozac because subclinical hypothyroidism is misdiagnosed routinely as “depression.” There’s one great big medical anomaly for Dahlstedt, who steadfastly maintains that he can find none in fluoridated Anacortes. Count the number of people on antidepressants around here.

Report Violation Posted by Jo Roark  on  November 29, 2007 - 11:26 PM

IFARM - It has nothing to do with a bad decision on the part of the PUD, they want to make sure they are not doing anything unlawful, which is honorable.

Report Violation Posted by Ifarm  on  November 30, 2007 - 09:11 AM

Jo Roark - You are wrong!!

Report Violation Posted by *shrug*  on  November 30, 2007 - 11:10 AM

Ifarm, bad form!  What kind of debator are you if you can only shout your opinion with nothing to back it up.  Don’t just say Jo is wrong, give us some proof, some intelligence on the matter.  Just saying “Jo Roark - You are wrong!!” does not make you right, you know.  If you can’t bring a real thought to the table, maybe you belong elsewhere.

Report Violation Posted by Jo Roark  on  November 30, 2007 - 02:49 PM

Shrug is right, put some thought into it. Or maybe IFARM is pro fluoride, he can talk the talk but can’t walk the walk…

Report Violation Posted by Jo Roark  on  December 01, 2007 - 09:55 AM

I guess the meeting for the PUD and the county commissioners is probably going to be in January, I was wrong about December, for anyone that is interested.

Report Violation Posted by Ifarm  on  December 01, 2007 - 06:43 PM

Jo Roark - You are also wrong!! and I don’t need to explain further. This forum is not the place for debates nor to judge someone’s opinion. It is a place to post comments only in accordance with the site’s R & R...and that I abide with. Those that tries to express themselves whether in favor or against are just welcome as far as I am concerned. All I can finally say is...you are wrong again and in violation..case closed.

Report Violation Posted by tea_time  on  December 01, 2007 - 06:56 PM

But Ifarm - Jo might be wrong, but since you just wrote “You are wrong”, I’m not sure what you mean.  What is Jo wrong about, and what is right?  Just curious, I’d like to know.

Report Violation Posted by Don Johnson  on  December 01, 2007 - 08:53 PM

And you’re NOT sitting in judgment, Ifarm? You’re not getting away with that bull. Jo Roark has violated nothing in this site’s Terms of Use. On the other hand, you have broken basic intellectual codes of conduct by arguing with nothing more than simple contradiction. You are complaining because you cannot walk your talk or refute anything that she has posted. By all means you DO need to explain further if you are going to call out someone and expect to be taken seriously. Now, I say that since medical history proves that fluoride lowers the thyroid gland function, water fluoridation is the same as treating everyone for hyperthyroidism without his or her informed consent. What do you say to that, Ifarm? And don’t just tell me I’m wrong.


Page 1 of 4        1 2 3 >  Last »

You must be a logged in member in order to comment.
Don't have an account? Sign up here. It's simple and free!



Auto-login on future visits

Forgot your password?











ADVERTISEMENT:
  © 2007 Skagit Valley Publishing Company Privacy Policy | Terms of Use