A Recap Of Day Three

Day three of the trial was another exciting one, as FAN attorney Michael Connett continued to call our expert witnesses to the stand to reveal the truth about fluoridation’s neurotoxicity.  The day started with the completion of testimony from Dr. Howard Hu, which was followed by testimony from renowned clinical scientist and professor, Dr. Bruce Lanphear.  Some of the day’s most exciting moments came with Lanphear’s testimony as he explained that there was no safe level of fluoride exposure in regards to neurotoxicity, and that the effects seen in recent studies are “equal to what we saw with lead in children.”

After Lanphear, the court watched the deposition video of the CDC’s Oral Health Division Director, Casey Hannan.  He confirmed that his agency agreed with the National Research Council’s 2006 findings that fluorides “interfere with the function of the brain and body by direct and indirect means,” among many other stunning admissions, yet did nothing to act upon or study these findings.

Next was fact witness Dr. Kris Thayer, Director of the US EPA’s Chemical and Pollutant Assessment Division.  She confirmed the vulnerability of the developing brain to environmental toxins, as well as fluoride’s known neurotoxicity “at some level.”

The last witness on day three was veteran risk assessment scientist, Kathleen Thiessen, PhD, who was a member of the 2006 NRC committee that reviewed fluoride, and authored around a third of the report.  The highlights of her powerful testimony included confirming that the EPA was ignoring the neurotoxic risk from fluoridation because doing so would require them to effectively ban the practice.  She also compared the amount of evidence of neurotoxicity from fluoride to other toxins the EPA currently did regulate as neurotoxic, saying “the amount of evidence for fluoride is considerably larger.”  You can read Dr. Thiessen’s full declaration and resume by clicking her.

Daily trial summaries are also being provided by the legal news website Law360, but registration with a “non-free email domain” is required to read the full articles.  If you have such an email domain, here are the three summaries thus far: Day One / Day Two / Day Three.

Fundraising Update

Since last week’s start to the fundraiser, we have raised $17,040 from 159 supporters! Thank you to all who have supported our work, moving us closer to our goal of $50,000 from 300 donors to fund our operating budget through the reminder of 2020.  With your help we can continue making progress towards the eventual end of water fluoridation.

How to Make a Tax-Deductible Donation:

  • Online, using our secure server.
  • Or by Check, payable to the Fluoride Action Network. Mail your check to:

Fluoride Action Network
c/o Connett
104 Walnut Street
Binghamton NY 13905

Trial Will Resume on Friday Morning

Day four of the trial will start on Friday at 8:30AM (Pacific) / 11:30AM (Eastern).  It will begin with the completion of Dr. Thiessen’s testimony.  The EPA’s attorneys still need to cross-examine her, followed by FAN’s legal team questioning her one last time.  Then we will start to hear from the EPA’s witnesses, two out of three are hired guns from a company called Exponent.  Yesterday, Dr. Lanphear was asked about Exponent and classified them as “rented white coats.”  He continued, “They do what paying industries want them to do. Historically, in every major case they’ve been on the wrong side of science. We epidemiologists don’t think very highly of these organizations who are basically hired to create uncertainty.”

You can watch or listen from any computer or mobile device with internet using Zoom (Download Zoom). You can also listen to the trial using your phone as you would a typical conference call.

If you cannot listen in on the trial, FAN will also continue LIVE Tweeting the highlights from the proceedings so even more of you can join in the excitement of this historic event.

Here is the direct link to watch the trial:
https://cand-uscourts.zoomgov.com/j/1607275798?pwd=UTZiNE1lbDE1MXdiYThNNEFtaklFQT09

Meeting ID: 160 727 5798
Password: 670801

Here is the call in information for audio only if you choose to listen by phone:

Dial by your location
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/ac4JkPfcjo

**Recording or re-broadcasting the trial is prohibited by the court**

Thank you,

Stuart Cooper
Campaign Director
Fluoride Action Network