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Marathon County committee rejects recommendation to lower fluoride standard after heated debate
Summary
The Health & Human Services Committee considered a resolution urging municipalities to adopt a more protective fluoride concentration and rejected it after a roll-call vote following an unsuccessful amendment to ban adding more fluoride.
The Marathon County Health & Human Services Committee voted down a resolution that would have recommended local water utilities adopt a default safety margin tied to the National Toxicology Program (NTP) findings on fluoride and child neurodevelopment.
The measure, introduced by Vice Chair Arstead, would have recommended water municipalities in Marathon County follow an EPA-style default margin that—using NTP hazard estimates—would translate to a fluoride concentration near 0.15 milligrams per liter, well below the commonly cited 0.7 mg/L. The resolution failed on a roll-call vote, 3 in favor and 4 opposed.
Committee members debated scientific evidence, local control, and municipal operations during an extended discussion. Vice Chair Arstead read historical and scientific materials compiled by supporters, saying fluoridation debates go back decades and citing recent NTP conclusions that found “moderate confidence in the evidence that estimated fluoride exposure is inversely associated with IQ in children.” Arstead also summarized a federal court ruling announced Sept. 24, 2024, in Food & Water Watch v. Environmental Protection…
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