RED LION, Pa. — Note: The video is from May 12.
The Red Lion Municipal Authority in York County said it is considering removing fluoride in the drinking water it supplies, and has launched an online survey to solicit feedback from the community.
According to the authority’s 2024 annual water quality report, the most recent year for which data is available, .66 mg/L of fluoride were present in the water supply, below the maximum limit of 2 mg/L and recommended level of .7 mg/L.
In a statement to FOX43 Wednesday, Municipal Authority Superintendent John M. Krantz noted that U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said one of his first acts after joining President Donald Trump’s cabinet would be to “advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water.”
Krantz also pointed out that Utah and Florida have already banned its use in drinking water, and that state Sen. Dawn Keefer, a Republican representing portions of Cumberland and York counties, has proposed the “Fluoride Choice Act” in the General Assembly earlier this year.
Senate Bill 849, which was introduced by Keefer in May but has not made it out of committee, would prohibit “any individual, entity, or political subdivision from adding fluoride to public water systems or water intended for public consumption and (require) the safe disposal of fluoride chemicals.”
Opponents of fluoride in drinking water say the mineral could be linked to a decrease in IQ, while supporters call into question the accuracy and relevancy of studies that connect the two and point to the public health benefits of decreased tooth decay.
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention support the use of fluoride in public drinking water, which became public policy in 1945 as a way to prevent cavities and improve oral health.
The APA states that “extensive research confirms the safety and effectiveness of fluoride at recommended levels (a concentration of 0.7 milligrams per liter, according to the U.S. Public Health Service).”
Additionally, the APA said, “evidence does not support any detrimental effects on neurocognitive development at the currently recommended level of water fluoridation in the U.S.”
The CDC said “the safety and benefits of fluoride are well documented and have been reviewed comprehensively by several scientific and public health organizations” and called public water fluoridation “beneficial for reducing and controlling tooth decay and promoting oral health.”
Krantz said the Municipal Authority has received calls from “numerous customers” asking about fluoride addition into Red Lion’s water system.
The survey is designed to solicit input from customers, he said. The Authority “will be considering this input when deciding whether to cease the addition of fluoride in our water.”
“The Authority strives to represent our rate payers and will consider all information we receive regarding this important public health issue,” he added.
The online survey is available here.
Original article online at: https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/york-county/red-lion-municipal-authority-online-survey-fluoride-removal-water-supply-feedback/521-2d114119-5e37-488c-ac74-0a390adb1400