NEW YORK, April 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Twice-delayed, a
lawsuit seeking to prohibit the addition of fluoridation chemicals
to public water systems in the U.S. because of the threat fluoride
poses to the developing brain will begin June 8, reports the Fluoride Action
Network (FAN).
Under the jurisdiction of the U.S. District Court in
San Francisco, the eight-day trial
will be conducted by video conference, rather than in the
courtroom, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
FAN is the lead plaintiff in the groundbreaking case, which
challenges a practice endorsed by the U.S. Public Health Service 70
years ago and that today affects more than 200 million
Americans through water systems in thousands of communities.
In accordance with U.S. law, the trial will be accessible to the
public, although details remain to be worked out. Whatever the
precise format, fluoridation, aggressively promoted by the American
Dental Association and the government as a tooth decay
preventative, will get a close look over eight days.
As plaintiff, FAN is joined by Moms Against Fluoridation and the
consumer advocacy group Food and Water Watch. The groups are joined
by several individuals representing themselves and/or their
children.
Plaintiffs are represented by Michael
Connett and C. Andrew Waters
of Waters Kraus and Paul of El Segundo,
California. The defendant is the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), represented by the Environmental
Defense Section of the U.S. Department of Justice.
"This case is groundbreaking for the opposition to
fluoridation," said Paul Connett,
FAN Executive Director. "Several well-conducted and government
funded Mother-Offspring studies indicate that fluoride has the
potential to lower the children's IQ. These studies have
changed the ball-game on the argument over fluoride's
neurotoxicity."
EPA plans to call on hired experts from the consulting firm
Exponent Inc., known for servicing large corporations.
The lawsuit falls under the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976
(TSCA) which gives EPA the authority to prohibit "the
particular use" of a chemical substance if it presents an
unreasonable risk to the general public or susceptible
subpopulations.
The plaintiffs submitted a Citizens Petition under Section 21 of
TSCA to the EPA in November 2016
requesting a ban on the addition of fluoridation chemicals to
water. When the EPA denied their Petition, they filed suit in
federal court.
A Fact Sheet providing further information on the case is at
http://fluoridealert.org/tsca-fact-sheet/
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content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/video-trial-on-fluoridation-chemicals-set-for-june-8-in-federal-court-301043733.html
SOURCE Fluoride Action Network
