Roy Crandall refuses to drink water with fluoride in it.

“I said at one time anyone that bought bottled water was crazy because the Homer water was good, but then I started reading about fluoride and decided I didn’t want any part of the fluoride,” he said.

The Homer trustee wants the village to stop adding it to the water supply.

“I’ve read so much about it and it’s damaging to your health and secretes itself in your penal gland of your brain, it secretes itself in your kidneys and your liver and it makes your bones weak,” he said.
Too much fluoride is defined by the Environmental Protection Agency as more than 4 parts per million gallons of water. Any more than that can cause fluorosis, a condition that damages teeth. Some studies even suggest too much fluoride can cause bone cancer and other health problems.

Homer water officials say they add one part fluoride per million gallons. A dentist we spoke with says that’s the recommended amount to keep teeth healthy.

“It is not considered dangerous and as so far as the American Dental Association recommendations are concerned, they do recommend 1 ppm which is not dangerous to the health or the fluorosis even in the teeth. That is the recommended dose,” said Dr. Baljinder Singh, Cortland Dental.

Tuesday night, the Homer Village board voted to set a public hearing on the issue next month.

“I think this is more of a public situation than just the trustees deciding for them,” said Michael McDermott, Homer Village Mayor

The village board will hear from the public at that meeting on October 11th. Then they’ll probably vote on the issue at their November meeting.

Last week, 11 unions representing workers at the Environmental Protection Agency called for an end to water fluoridation.

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