City government in Jonesborough, Tenn., has voted out fluoride in their Tri-Cities water supply.
Heath Marter, with his girlfriend Liz Morris, of Chattanooga is a vocal oppoent of fluoride and seems to be knocking his head against a wall to get the Hixson Utility District board to consider the dangers of fluroide upon unsuspecting customers. (Photo Facebook)
Terry Wolfe, Jonesborough, Tenn., mayor
Greg Butler, Hixson Utility District director, says he will not give an interview about fluoride in his water company because the board has made it very clear that it will not budge in its program.
Nor will the board be willing to hear any protest over it use of hydrofluorosilicic acid in water drawn from an aquifer said to have very pure and good qualities.
By David Tulis / Noogaradio 1240 AM 101.1 FM
Mr. Butler said fluoride is not on the agenda for today’s meeting at 4 p.m. in Hixson. And members of the three-person board are not willing to hear anything about it.
However, petitioner Heath Marter says he plans to attend the meeting. “I’m going anyways *** to push the issue. I’m tell them if they just let me ask them a couple of questions — I’ll stop showing up at the meetings and leave them alone. I think I can persuade them into talking to me one last time.”
Meanwhile, another city in Tennessee has voted to abandon the practice of injecting the industrial waste product into the drinking water.
The Jonesborough board of alderman acted after years of uncertainty about the danger of fluoride. Several years ago Mayor Kelly Wolfe and other alderman visited the city’s water plant and noticed how fluoride burned a hole through concrete, which prompted discussion about fluoride safety.
At the meeting in which the vote was held, two local doctors spoke. Dr. Allen Burleson said fluoride fights cavities and tooth decay and that there is no link between fluoride and neurological conditions or other pathologies.
Offering a somewhat different view from the standard dental perspective was Dr. Jay Jarmon, who said fluoride delivered in public water supplies isn’t the most effective for to be administered. Fluoride has been linked to liver and kidney damage in children.
Following its vote to end fluoridation the board worked out a proposal with the Washington County School District to give instruction about tooth protection. “We can put something together that will get these kids the help they need with their oral health,” said Mayor Wolfe. “You know, kids are being taught to brush their teeth necessarily at home.”
The board has four months in which to remove fluoride in the water and work on the school plans, according to a report by WJHL, news channel 11 in Jonesborough.
“I’m so glad they removed it,” says Karyn French of East TN Citizens for Safe Drinking Water. “It’s going to be a long time before mine is removed, so I am overjoyed when I hear of other places removing it.” Mrs. French, a nurse, resides in Brentwood, Tenn., and drinks Nashville water.
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Fluoride in water is a good thing. I’m glad Hixson Utility District is ignoring fearmongering.
Anyone who is against fluoride has the option to move to Jonesborough, Tenn., and live their life fluoride-free.
If it’s really such a fear for some, they’d move now and save themselves. I’ll stay in Hixson, fluoride and all. And happy I got all my vaccinations too.
And get my flu shot the moment they are available.