Canada - Fluoride or no fluoride in Cornwall water

Let the fluoride debate begin -- again.

Cornwall council will allow for two speakers to present arguments for and against the fluoridation of water at two succeeding meetings on April 11 and April 25.

But the decision for two representatives are local medical officer of health Dr. Paul Roumeliotis and American anti-fluoride advocate Dr. Paul Connett, executive director of the Fluoride Action Network.

If this issues sounds familiar, it is. The previous Cornwall council also debated the issue of whether to add fluoride to the city's drinking water more than two and half years ago. That time finances had a bearing as the city had to decide whether to spend about $300,000 on new safety equipment.

Now that city residents have been without fluoride in their water for more than two and half years, some councillors are anxious to get it added.

Partly because of this, some of council, most notably Coun. Andre Rivette, are frustrated by the efforts of anti-fluoride crusaders to have the chemical avoided.

Rivette was again on the warpath during Wednesday's special council meeting when it was called for council to decide to amend its rules for presentations to be extended to 30 minutes from 10.

Rivette and Mayor Leslie O'Shaughnessy clashed somewhat when Rivette voiced his objection to having a third presenter, presumably anti-fluoride, speak and given 30 minutes also.

"If there is a third group, are you going to say no? Is that fairness?" O'Shaughnessy asked Rivette.

Rivette said he was concerned that a city employees group was going to present, due to safety concerns over the fluoride application.

Coun. Denis Carr added that a third group should not be presenting to council if it is not medically legit.

By then, the mayor had agreed to amend the motion to allow for just two speakers, the two opposing doctors.

gpeerenboom@postmedia.com

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