USA - Schuylkill Haven to stop adding fluoride to water supply

Schuylkill Haven to stop adding fluoride to water supply
BY DUSTIN PANGONIS (STAFF WRITER dpangonis@republicanherald.com)
Published: February 4, 2010
SCHUYLKILL HAVEN - The borough will stop adding fluoride to its water supply after a motion to keep adding the chemical was defeated at Wednesday's borough council meeting.
"I think we're doing an injustice by taking it out for our young people," council President Marlin W. Berger Jr. said.
Marlin Berger, who was the only council member to speak Wednesday about his stance on the motion, said larger cities, such as Reading and Philadelphia, use fluoride in their water supply.
The borough will save about $10,000, he said, but added alternatives such as fluoride treatment by dentists are very expensive. Marlin Berger acknowledged there is debate over the effectiveness of fluoride in preventing tooth decay, but said the practice has been successful in Schuylkill Haven.
"Our forefathers back in the '60s were able to put this in ... I think we've had very few complaints with this over the years," Marlin Berger said.
In a telephone interview after the meeting, Marlin Berger said borough administrator Scott Graver brought the issue to council's attention.
According to the Pennsylvania Rural Water Association, Marlin Berger said, not all state municipalities add fluoride to their water, and removing the chemical could cut costs.................