Fluoride Action Network

Search

  • Say ‘Ah’ — Portland Hosts National Oral Health Conference

    More than 700 dentists and dental hygienists from across the country are in Portland this week for a national conference on oral health. As Kristian Foden-Vencil reports, Oregon’s continuing refusal to put fluoride in the drinking water is drawing attention. When San Diego and San Jose begin to put fluoride in their water this year, […]

  • Portland: 2 restaurant owners want fluoride out of water

    Restaurant owners Igor Rakuz, left, who owns GRO Cafe, and Oliver Outerbridge, who owns Bonobo, today kicked off a petition campaign to force a referendum in the towns served by the Portland Water District that would ask voters if they want to remove fluoride from the water system. The grassroots group they’re heading is called […]

  • Portland. Sources Say: Vote didn’t end fluoride fight

    The fight over fluoridating Portland’s water isn’t finished. Voters overwhelmingly defeated Ballot Measure 26-161 in Tuesday’s election, repealing the City Council’s plan to fluoridate the water. But opponents have already filed an initiative petition for a City Charter change to prevent the council from ever doing it in the future. They temporarily stopped gathering signatures […]

  • Portland: Inspired water fight sends message

    Outspent Portland fluoride opponents rallied a movement Now we know why fluoride backers pressed so hard to avoid a public vote. Anti-fluoridation forces — who raised far less money, had fewer seasoned campaign professionals and lost a one-sided battle for newspaper and other endorsements — easily overturned the Portland City Council’s decision to fluoridate the […]

  • Portland. BREAKING: State Public Health Director to Step Down

    Oregon’s public health director is leaving the position, amid a threatened lawsuit and accusations the agency colluded with pro-fluoride advocates on the release of an oral health report. Dr. Mel Kohn today sent an e-mail out to colleagues at the Oregon Health Authority, saying he’ll step down as head of the OHA’s Public Health Division […]

  • Portland: One State Employee is Guilty of a “Minor” Fluoridated Transgression

    Fluoride‘s resounding defeat in Portland is nearly a month behind us, but controversy around the most-contentious vote in recent memory lingers—sort of. The Oregon Health Authority has found in an internal investigation [PDF] one of its employees committed a “minor violation” of the state’s acceptable use policy in the run-up to the vote, when she […]

  • Hydrogen fluoride: EPA fines North Portland Kanto Corporation for failing to report use of toxic chemicals

    Kanto Corporation, a Portland chemical manufacturer, failed to report the use of toxic chemicals at its facility in violation of community right-to-know laws, according to a settlement with the Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday. Kanto agreed to correct violations of the federal Toxics Release Inventory Program and pay a fine, according to the EPA. Kanto […]

  • New coalition lobbies to fluoridate Portland’s drinking water

    Portland’s reign as America’s largest bastion of fluoride-free water is facing a revolt. A newly formed and hush-hush coalition of more than 50 high-profile organizations is quietly lobbying the Portland City Council to add fluoride to a drinking water supply serving about 900,000 residents — not just in Portland but also Gresham, Tigard and Tualatin, […]

  • Fluoride group secures second vote on Portland City Council for $5 million project

    Fluoride proponents picked up a significant endorsement Thursday, increasing the likelihood that Portland will end its status as the largest city in the country that hasn’t taken steps to fluoridate its water. With Commissioner Nick Fish joining Randy Leonard in support, fluoridation will now only stall if each of the remaining three Portland City Council […]

  • Portland: Fluoride would cost $5 million and take 5-plus years

    If the Portland City Council decides to add fluoride to local drinking water, it should prepare for three things: sizable costs, big-time opposition, followed by a half-decade wait. Putting fluoride in Portland, Gresham, Tigard and Tualatin’s water supply would require “significant” project costs of about $5 million and ongoing operations and maintenance expenses of $575,000, […]