Australia - Activists vow to blockade fluoride plants

Anti-fluoride campaigners are vowing to blockade dosing plants when Rous Water staff begin adding fluoride to local water supplies.
A number of activists visited the Corndale plant last week when staff were carrying out a trial run on the dosing equipment.

Dosing is expected to start within two weeks.

Activist Al Oshlack said two people were inside the dosing sheds dressed in full ‘Fukushima’ chemical suits. ‘What was disturbing was that there were another four people hanging around the door watching these guys trying to get the machinery to work,’ he said.

Mr Oshlack notified Workcover and was told the matter would be investigated. ‘This is a highly toxic chemical. As toxic as arsenic and more toxic than lead,’ he said. He said a meeting was held in Lismore last night and members of the Fluoride Free Northern Rivers group vowed to hold weekly vigils outside the offices of Rous Water. They will also target the NSW Department of Health.

On another front, money is being raised to seek legal advice from a senior counsel with the view to mounting a legal challenge in the High Court of Australia. Such a challenge would rely on the court agreeing that the Australian constitution prohibited the mass medication of people. ‘The legal process is going to take some time so if we don’t stop them (with blockades), fluoridation will have commenced before it reaches court,’ he said. ‘There’s a lot of anger about this. Rous Water has told us that if there is an accident they will not be making a public announcement but would instead be reporting it to the Department of Health.

‘Already there have been overdoses at plants in Australia.

‘The Williams River at Dungog in NSW was subjected to closures because of a spill and in Queensland there have been calibration problems where people have received ten times the amount they should have. ‘Even on the NSW health website it clearly states that fluoridated water should not be given to bottle-fed babies.

Mr Oshlack has issued a challenge to any mayor or councillor that supports fluoride to have a public debate with him … anytime, anywhere.