#Fluoridelawsuit...Could an overfeed of water fluoridation chemicals happen in Templeton?

Where will the next fluoridation accident or overfeed occur?  Will it be your town or city?  Will the fluoridation chemical eat through its containment tank and dissolve a hole in the treatment plant’s concrete floor or asphalt loading area, escaping into nearby rivers or groundwater?  How many water employees and first responders will have to be rushed to the hospital?  Will a mechanical or human error cause fluoride levels to increase above 100ppm in your drinking water, corroding the piping, leaching lead and copper into the system, making residents sick and causing long-term health complications?  Will city officials hide the accident for days, weeks, or even months, putting their political interests before public safety?

These are questions every single resident living in a fluoridated community ought to be asking, because another accident or overfeed will happen, and continue to happen until we end this practice.

Before we get to news of the most recent overfeed, here is a quick update on our fundraiser for the lawsuit that could end this unnecessary and constant threat to the health and safety of water department workers, truckers, railway employees, first responders, and citizens around the world. 

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The Latest Fluoridation Overfeed

City and Water Department officials in Newport, Rhode Island are planning to notify residents of a fluoridation chemical overfeed in their water bills more than a month after it occurred, and only because there is a “mandate to inform the public” from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Reports have yet to explain what caused the overfeed, but we do know that on May 4th alarms went off at the water treatment plant indicating elevated fluoride levels.  Operators reported levels as high as at least 2.16 mg/L entering the water supply, three times higher than usual.  It isn’t clear if operators tested the fluoride levels immediately following the overfeed or hours later, once it was given time to dissipate.  Local officials also do not appear to be investigating if any of the typical adverse reactions, such as vomiting or gastrointestinal issues, were experienced by residents. 

Newport joins over 50 other communities since 2010 that have had a fluoridation related accident or overfeed. 

Investigation Reports on Franklin and Sandy Overfeeds Made Public

As residents of Newport are just starting to learn what happened to their drinking water, investigations into two other major overfeeds that occurred over the past year are wrapping up and the results have been published.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environment has released a Consent Decree and Agreement on the violations surrounding the overfeed in the City of Franklin that increased fluoride levels at least 14 times higher than the usual level, between 12.6 mg/L and 25 mg/L.  Lab tests also showed that levels remained elevated in some parts of the city days after the incident.  Residents reported green/blue water from copper and metal corrosion, as well as a metallic taste.  The water was tainted for at least 24-hours without public notice, but some reports suggest elevated levels could have occurred seven days earlier when the first customers complained about discolored water.

The state fined Franklin $25,000 for the fluoride-level violations, which led to the water director surrendering his operator's certification and paying a personal fine of $2,500.  Just like with Newport, officials in Franklin appear to have failed to investigate adverse reactions to the dangerously elevated fluoride and metal content in the drinking water.

See full Franklin Timeline & News Coverage 

A state-mandated investigation and report has been conducted and released on the massive fluoridation overfeed that occurred in February in Sandy, Utah, on the outskirts of Salt Lake City.  It reported that 1,500 households, schools, and businesses were impacted when undiluted hydrofluorosilicic acid containing arsenic, lead, copper, manganese, iron, and aluminum entered the drinking water supply sickening 239 people, including children.  Seperately, Utah Poison Control handled 316 cases they believe were linked to the incident.  A water sample taken two days after the overfeed, but not provided to the state 18 days later, showed a fluoride level of 151.5 mg/L.

A second investigative report has just been made public, which appears to show that the Utility Director and Deputy Mayor were actively working to supress media coverage instead of notifying the public during the critical hours ater the overfeed.  This investigation was conducted by an independent law firm at the request of the Mayor and Council, and focused on the cause and the actions of the city and utilities employees before, during, and after the incident.  

Read the full report 

Stay tuned, as FAN will continue to track accidents and overfeeds, as well as provide further updates and analysis on the Sandy, Utah fluoridation investigations and the local campaign to end the practice.

• Learn more about fluoridation chemicals.
• See list of fluoridation-related accidents and overfeeds since 2010.
• Read a study on contaminants found in fluoridation chemicals.
• Read the FAN report on leaching of lead and other metals. 
  

Thank you,

Stuart Cooper
Campaign Director
Fluoride Action Network