Oregon

WATER FLUORIDATION STATUS:

• PERCENT OF PEOPLE SERVED BY PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS THAT ARE FLUORIDATED:
  2018:  26.3% – ranked #49 among the states (100% fluoridated is ranked #1)
  2016:  22.6%
  2014:  22.6%
  2012:  22.6%
  2006:  27.4%
  2000:  22.7%
  1992:  24.8%
• To see if your town is fluoridated, click here.
• To learn when your town was fluoridated, and which fluoridation chemical it uses, click here.

LATEST NEWS:

• To see the latest news on fluoride developments in Oregon, click here.
• To see an updated list of Oregon’s professionals calling for an end to fluoridation, click here.

For a quick overview, Michael Dolan, in his November 2021 Fluoridation Review, listed these cities and towns in Oregon:

The following list of fluoridated cities and towns is based on information obtained from the Oregon Health Authority, 2020.

Fluoridated cities and towns: Albany, Astoria, Beaverton, Burnside Water Assn., Coos Bay, Coquille, Corvalis, Dallas, The Dalles, Dean Minard Water Dist., Dumbeck-Lane Domestic Water Supply Dist., Fernhill, Florence, Forest Grove, Gearhart, Hillsboro-Butternut Creek, Independence, John Day Water Dist., Keizer, Lebanon, McMinnville, Millersburg, Monmouth, North Bend, Olney-Walluski Water Assn., Orchard Heights Water Assn., Philomath, Rink Creek Water Dist., Salem, Scappoose, Seaside, Shelley Road-Crest Acres Water Dist., Sheridan, Silverton, Sodaville, Stanley Acres Water Assn., Sublimity, Sweet Home, Tigard, Troutdale, Turner, Warrenton, Washington Co. (unincorporated), Willow Dale Water Dist.

Non-fluoridated cities and towns (incomplete): Adair Village, Amity, Arlington, Ashland, Athena, Aumsville, Aurora, Baker City, Bandon, Banks, Bay City, Bend, Boardman, Bonanza, Brookings, Brownsville, Burns, Butte Falls, Canby, Cannon Beach, Canyon City, Canyonville, Carlton, Cascade Locks, Cave Junction, Central Point, Chiloquin, Clatskanie, Coburg, Columbia City, Condon, Cornelius, Cottage Grove, Cove, Creswell, Culver, Dayton, Depoe Bay, Donald, Drain, Dufur, Dundee, Dunes City, Durham, Eagle Point, Echo, Elgin, Enterprise, Estacada, Eugene, Fairview, Falls City, Fossil, Garibaldi, Gaston, Gates, Gervais, Gladstone, Glendale, Gold Beach, Gold Hill, Grants Pass, Gresham, Haines, Halsey, Happy Valley, Harrisburg, Heppner, Hermiston, Hines, Hood River, Hubbard, Huntington, Irrigon, Island City, Jacksonville, Jefferson, Johnson City, Joseph, Junction City, King City, Klamath Falls, Lafayette, La Grande, La Pine, Lake Oswego, Lakeside, Lakeview, Lincoln City, Lowell, Lyons, Madras, Malin, Manzanita, Maupin, Maywood Park, Medford, Merrill, Metolius, Mill City, Millersburg, Milwaukie, Milton-Freewater, Molalla, Monroe, Mosier, Mt. Angel, Mount Vernon, Myrtle Creek, Myrtle Point, Newberg, Newport, North Plains, North Powder, Nyssa, Oakland, Oakridge, Ontario, Oregon City, Pendleton, Phoenix, Pilot Rock, Portland, Port Orford, Powers, Praire City, Prineville, Rainier, Redmond, Reedsport, Riddle, Rockaway Beach, Rogue River, Roseburg, St. Helens, St. Paul, Sandy, Scio, Shady Cove, Sherwood, Siletz, Sisters, Springfield, Stanfield, Stayton, Sutherlin, Talent, Tangent, Tillamook, Toledo, Tualatin, Umatilla, Union, Vale, Veneta, Vernonia, Waldport, Wallowa, West Linn, Weston, Wheeler, Willamina, Wilsonville, Winston, Woodburn, Wood Village, Yachats, Yamhill, Yoncalla

Oregon’s FLUORIDATION LAW:

• The State of Oregon does not mandate fluoridation.  Local governments control fluoridation policy in OR.  City councils can begin or discontinue fluoridation at their discretion, or by a referendum vote.  Each community’s fluoridation ordinance is unique.  To learn more about these fluoridation ordinances, click here.

DATA ON ORAL HEALTH:

• 2014. Oregon Oral Health Surveillance System 2002-2014. By the Oregon Health Authority, Public Health Division, Oral Health Program. No mention of dental fluorosis.
• 2014. Strategic Plan for Oral Health in Oregon: 2014-2020. Oregon Oral Health Coalition, Oregon Health Authority, Oregon Health Funders Collaborative. No mention of dental fluorosis.

FAN’S STATE COORDINATOR IN Oregon:

We no longer have an Oregon coordinator. If you are interested, please email us at info@fluoridealert.org 

Oregon COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE REJECTED FLUORIDATION:

OREGON WATER SYSTEMS WITH HIGH FLUORIDE LEVELS:

Of Special Interest.

In 2006, the city of Portland and Multnomah County adopted a Toxics Reduction Strategy, “A plan for minimizing use of toxic substances of concern in government operations by using the Precautionary Principle.” According to the report,

The long-term vision of the Strategy is to promote a healthy community and environment by eliminating the governmental purchase, release and use of toxic substances that present potential negative health or environmental impacts. Specifically, the Strategy establishes the goal of using the Precautionary Principle as a framework for replacing toxic substances, materials or products of concern with viable least-toxic alternatives by 2020. These efforts will be guided by the following principles:
•    Use products and substances that do not contain or generate persistent bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals, heavy metals of concern, or known, probable or suspected carcinogens, mutagens, teratogens, endocrine disrupters, organ toxics or respiratory irritants.
•    Use effective and progressive integrated pest management strategies to minimize reliance on pesticides of concern and to ensure careful screening of products and their application to minimize adverse impacts.
•    Effectively utilize procurement tools that support toxics reduction in the purchase of all goods and services.
•    Implement best management practices that support toxics reduction and proper waste management in all operations.

Superfund Sites:

• Martin Marietta Aluminum Co., The Dalles, Wasco County.
… Groundwater on site is contaminated with cyanide and fluoride. Sediments and soil contain cyanide, fluoride, asbestos, PAHs, and arsenic. People who accidentally ingested or came into direct contact with groundwater, soil, and sediments may have been at risk. Exposure to high levels of cyanide harms the brain and heart. Low levels of cyanide may result in breathing difficulties. Exposure to fluoride is usually low and not harmful. High exposures can cause lung, skin and bone damage….

• Reynolds Metals Superfund Site, City of Troutdale, Multnomah County.
… EPA conducted site investigations at RMC in 1994 that documented contamination is several former waste disposal areas at the site. Contaminants included fluoride, PAHs, cyanide, metals and PCBs. EPA placed the Site on the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) in 1994…

Scrap Yard – This 5.7-acre area was located in the East Area and was used as a storage area for the plant. Soil in the scrap yard was contaminated with fluoride, cyanide, PAHs, PCBs, and metals. Fluoride levels averaged over 30,000 mg/kg in the soils, with the concentrations decreasing with depth. The scrap yard was the source of fluoride and metals contamination in the intermediate sand and sand/gravel water bearing zones, located between the scrap yard and the production wells. This area was cleaned up primarily through early removal actions. Additional waste removal was completed as part of plant demolition activities. Following cleanup from removal actions, mean total fluoride was 489 mg/kg and PAHs were 1.0 mg/kg.

3.7 Basis for Remedial Actions. The RI/FS showed there were high levels of contamination in soil, waste and debris and in the eastern portion north landfill, south landfill, scrap yard area and high levels of contamination in the process residue that was located at the bottom of Company Lake. It also showed that there was a significant plume of fluoride in ground water beneath the RMC facility. Exposures   to waste, soils and debris and Company Lake sediments were associated with significant human heahh risks. The contaminated materials in the waste areas previously described were determined to be the primary sources of groundwater contamination…

Other FLUORIDE POLLUTION SOURCES IN OREGON:

In 2008, Oregon ranked #39 out of 48 states for Hydrogen Fluoride releases (161,955 pounds). The following data comes from EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory (TRI). “Total releases” includes both water and air pollution. It’s important to note, however, that not all industries or sources that release fluoride into the environment are included in the TRI.