The Clarksburg Water Board will not be taking fluoride out of the water supply any time soon.

The Water Board took no action Tuesday after hearing from health professionals arguing that fluoride reduces tooth decay and is safe in low concentrations and from opponents who question both assertions.

Board President Al Cox, who leans towards continuing the practice of adding fluoride to the water supply, said he didn’t think the board was in a position to change course.

Cox likened the volumes of material the board keeps receiving from both sides of the issue to the Affordable Care Act.

“Personally, I find that hard to do,” Cox said of making a hasty decision. “I’m not a scientist. Nobody here’s a scientist. We’re trying to weave through this.”

Fellow board members Paul Howe and Charlie Thayer, who have expressed concerns about long-term use of fluoride on human health, agreed.

Caption under photo: Gina Sharps, an area dental hygienist, calls on the Clarksburg Water Board Tuesday to continue fluoridating the water supply. Fellow fluoride proponent Craig Cobb, with the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health, is next to Sharps, while fluoride opponent Cleve Bowie sits at the far end.

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