WEST JORDAN – Salt Lake County may get a city challenge to fluoride.
City Council members made rumblings Tuesday about mounting a formal challenge to fluoridation of public water supplies – a move already taken by some Davis County cities. Salt Lake and Davis County voters approved fluoridation in November 2000.
West Jordan City Councilman Andrew Allison asked fellow City Council members Tuesday if they would consider a lawsuit challenging fluoridation. Allison said he was concerned about the safety of ingesting fluoride.
“What you’re saying is ‘What would we do to opt out?'” Mayor Bryan Holladay asked.
Council members approved Allison’s request to have city staff provide the council with more information about fluoridation as the city moves to fluoridate its well water.
Allison stressed he was looking for more information, not asking the council to commit itself to legal action.
Since the 2000 vote, two Davis County cities have formally challenged fluoridation, and at least three others have discussed that possibility but decided not to act on it. And voters throughout Davis County – even in cities that aren’t challenging fluoridation – will again weigh in on fluoride this fall after an initiative petition garnered enough signatures to put the issue back on the ballot.
Pam Davenport, of the Salt Lake Valley Health Department, said her department has not heard of any other cities in Salt Lake County that are considering challenging fluoridation.
In Davis County, Woods Cross argued it provide water separate from countywide supplies and received court permission to opt out of countywide fluoridation. Centerville followed up the countywide fluoride approval in 2000 with its own fluoride vote in 2001. Fluoride again prevailed, but city officials have vowed not to fluoridate regardless.
Allison’s comments stemmed from a discussion of various methods for getting fluoride into West Jordan’s well-water system. The council voted to approve a contract with Carollo Engineers to perform a preliminary study of the fluoridation project.
Print 
PDF