FAN Bulletin 927
   
February 11, 2008

Dear All,

Among many places where fluoridation is being forced down people’s throats, citizen resistance to this practice is growing — especially Australia and the UK. Marches and rallies have been held in Geelong and Melbourne and tomorrow (Tuesday Feb 12, 9-11 am) and a rally well be held outside Parliament House in Brisbane in opposition to the plan to fluoridate the whole state. See http://www.fluoridealert.org/news/3389.html. Please send Emails of moral support to Jean Ryan and Merilyn Haines . Meanwhile, things are bubbling in California.

1) Southern California’s demand for hexafluorosilicic acid may force other communities across the country to stop fluoridating! Since the Metropolitan Water District made the reckless decision to fluoridate 18 million people in Southern California, they have been using up huge quantities of available hexafluorosilicic acid, the untested (and FDA-unapproved) fluoridating agent obtained from the phosphate fertilizer industry. As a result, some fluoridating communities are facing shortages and increased costs prompting some to re-consider fluoridation. See: http://www.fluoridealert.org/news/3384.html

2) February 16 meeting in Santa Monica. Gene Burke of the Santa Monica Safe Drinking Water Coalition, has organized a meeting (Saturday Feb 16) to galvanize more grass roots action on this issue. I will be speaking at this meeting. The details are below.

3) Congratulations to Livermore. Livermore is one of the few communities in the San Francisco Bay area which has resisted attempts to fluoridate their water. See, “City won’t add fluoride to water despite state law” at http://www.fluoridealert.org/news/3356.html  Livermore puts to shame the City of San Francisco which recently passed legislation in support of the use of the “Precautionary Principle” to inform their decision making. If fluoridation does not violate the Precautionary Principle then nothing does!

4) Congratulations to Manila. This little community in Humboldt County, Northern California voted 73% against adding fluoride to their water in a referendum held on February 5.  See: http://www.fluoridealert.org/news/3378.html

5) Congratulations to the Topanga Messenger. In a very important article, the Topanga Messenger (Jan 31, 2008) revealed the staggering information that the National Sanitation Foundation International (NSF), a private trade association, is refusing to give water officials certification details of the chemicals being added to the water of 18 million people in the Metropolitan Water District. Here is an excerpt from this important article:

“… California law requires that any water additive be tested and certified as meeting the specifications of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Standard 60 before it can be added to the public water supply. Since the EPA stepped out of the business of regulating water additives in the late 1990s, that role has fallen to the National Sanitation Foundation International (NSF), a private trade association, which charges manufacturers a fee to test their products and certify their compliance with ANSI Standard 60 and other industry standards. Long-term toxicological studies are just one element of the product review data required to be submitted by the manufacturer of water additives to the NSF in order to demonstrate compliance with the ANSI 60 Standard. MWD spokesman Ed Dymally has previously told the Messenger that there are no long-term, peer-reviewed toxicological studies of the safety and efficacy of hydrofluorsilicic acid, arguing that MWD is not required to obtain any such data before adding the chemical to the public water supply and that the certification of these chemicals for use as water additives in the absence of such data is an issue to be taken up with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

(According to Los Angeles County Supervisor Yaroslavsky) ‘NSF has refused County Counsel’s request to produce these documents, asserting that NSF is not a public agency and is therefore not subject to laws, such as the California Public Records Act or the federal Freedom of Information Act, that would compel it to do so. My staff also spoke with NSF staff to determine whether they would voluntarily release these documents. NSF staff has advised us that both the documents submitted by the manufacturers to earn certification and the written report issued by NSF upon certification are considered the private property of the manufacturer, and that therefore NSF does not have the authority to release them.’”

I find it fascinating that the Topanga Messenger, a suburban newspaper, has produced the kind of in-depth investigative report, which in fairer times we would have expected from the LA Times, which remains asleep at the wheel on this issue.  See article at: http://www.fluoridealert.org/news/3358.html

6) Is this the Federal Lawsuit many have been waiting for? For over 11 years Jeff Green and Dr. David Kennedy have worked tirelessly - both in front and behind the scenes - to find ways to end the madness of fluoridation in California. They have finally decided it is time to launch a federal lawsuit challenging the use of a chemical (hexafluorosilicic acid) which has not been subject to long term health studies nor approved for use by the FDA. They are looking for financial support for this lawsuit. For more details please contact Jeff Green. Contact details: Jeff Green, National Director Citizens for Safe Drinking Water, 1010 University Avenue #52, San Diego, CA 92103, (800) 728-3833, email: , web: http://www.keepers-of-the-well.org/

7) Professionals’ Statement. Many professionals are signing the Professionals’ Statement calling for and end to fluoridation worldwide. Our current total is 1442. See: http://www.fluoridealert.org/professionals.statement.html

8) Online Message to Congress.  California residents continue to top the list of those who have signed the online message to the US Congress. The current total of people who have signed is over 9200. This message supports the Professionals’ Statement and calls for Congressional Hearings. See http://www.fluoridealert.org/congress

I think you will have seen that there is a lot to talk about at the Santa Monica meeting this coming Saturday. If you live in Southern California I hope to see you there. If for some reason you cannot make the meeting please contact Gene Burke and let him know that you are interested in working on this issue. Gene’s contact details: phone - 310-451-9950; Email: burkegene@msn.com

Paul Connett

PS  I’m just back from a frantically busy 3-week tour of Italy (23 presentations in 20 days). The focus of my talks was on the issue of waste management, not fluoride. However, everywhere I spoke I tried to locate professionals who out of solidarity (Italy does not fluoridate its water) would sign the Professionals’ Statement (see link above) calling for an end to fluoridation worldwide.

While away I kept in contact with fluoride happenings via email and our web page. I was very excited to discover that in just over three weeks 10,755 people have watched the 5 minute videotaped statement from Dr. Bill Osmunson, FAN’s west coast spokesperson on fluoridation. More vignettes are in the pipeline from the professionals who have signed the Professionals’ Statement.
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The Santa Monica Forum on Fluoridation

DATE:  
Saturday, February 16, 11 am - 2 pm

WHERE:  
Santa Monica Library Auditorium (on ground floor)
601 Santa Monica Blvd. (enter from 7th Street entrance)

TOPICS:
? What can we do to end fluoridation in SoCal and how can we do it?
? Discuss a new SoCal network for Safe Drinking Water actions.

FEATURED SPEAKER:
Dr. Paul Connett, Executive Director, Fluoride Action Network
(Bring a “pen drive” if you want to access a digital copy of Dr Connett’s power point presentation.)

DIRECTIONS:
405 to 10 Fwy West; exit after a few miles at Lincoln Blvd;
Stay in right lane & turn right (North) on Lincoln.
At Santa Monica Blvd, turn left. Go one block and turn right on 7th St. Then quickly left turn into driveway of Library entrance. Suggest self-park in Library building (underground). Take ticket - go to 1st floor Auditorium.

EVENT COORDINATOR:
Gene Burke
Santa Monica Safe Drinking Water Coalition, P.O.Box 358, Santa Monica, CA 90406
Tel: 310-451-9950
Email: burkegene@msn.com