The Selinsgrove Borough Council has voted to remove fluoride from its water system.
Following an Oct. 23 council meeting, the vote on the issue was misinterpreted by council President Richard Mease who thought the issue was just under consideration.
While it will take several months before any formal action is taken, including public hearings and involvement by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, borough Manager Lauren Martz said the vote was in fact to remove fluoride from the municipal water.
“They could still change their minds,” she said of the council members.
The council first discussed removing fluoride last week after the DEP ordered the municipality to begin daily monitoring of the fluoride introduction process into the water.
The cost for new monitoring equipment is about $40,000, Martz said, adding the borough has until Nov. 11 to notify DEP whether it will continue adding fluoride to the water.
She also informed the council that the fluoride used by the borough is not “medical grade” or highly concentrated to strengthen teeth. Several dentists and health groups have expressed concern for children’s dental health in opposing the removal of fluoride from public water systems.
Due to the cost and borough employee time to monitor the fluoride, the council unanimously agreed to start the process to remove it.
“I support it because that’s what the people who are handling it would like to do,” Mease said. “We know the health department says it’s good for your teeth and a lot of people think we shouldn’t take it out, but it’s not medical-grade fluoride.”
Original article online at: https://www.dailyitem.com/news/selinsgrove-approves-removing-fluoride-from-water/article_9650d7b8-31ae-434b-9016-0670a48b9ac2.html