Pennsylvania is the only state where it is considered illegal (by the courts) to remove fluoride from the drinking water. House Bill 1174 would allow local
governments or water authorities to remove fluoride from their water if they
choose to. Ask your state representative to co-sponsor this bill.
A copy H.B. 1174 is below. If your state representative is not already listed as a co-sponsor in the chart below, please contact them and ask for their co-sponsorship.
Sponsor Party District County FEESE R 84 Lycoming HARHAI D 58 Westmoreland HORSEY D 190 Philadelphia LEVDANSKY D 39 Allegheny MELIO D 141 Bucks MYERS D 201 Philadelphia ROONEY D 133 Lehigh and Northampton SHANER D 52 Fayette and Westmoreland SURRA D 75 Clearfield and Elk TRELLO D 45 Allegheny WANSACZ D 114 Lackawanna | To find the contact information for your state legislators, visit Project Vote Smart.
For documentation on the PA court decisions which stole the rights from If you don’t know whether your drinking water is fluoridated, visit our fluoridation map. Below is a copy of the bill. Following it is a sample letter-to-the-editor you can use. |
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1174 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY SURRA, ROONEY, FEESE, LEVDANSKY, SHANER, WANSACZ, HARHAI, HORSEY, MELIO, TRELLO AND MYERS,
MARCH 27, 2001
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY,
MARCH 27, 2001
AN ACT
Providing local choice for fluoridation of public water.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Fluoridation Choice Act.
Section 2. Purpose.
It is the purpose of this act to allow municipalities and public water authorities
the option of removing fluoride or fluoridation systems from public water supplies
in this Commonwealth.
Section 3. Local fluoridation option.
Notwithstanding any other law,
a municipality or public water authority may remove an existing water
fluoridation system from a public water system.
Section 4. Notification.
At least 60 days prior to taking action, a municipality or
public water authority which intends to cease adding fluoride to a public water
supply must communicate its intent in writing to all customers served by that
water supply and to the Department of Environmental Protection. The municipality
or public water authority shall hold a public hearing on the proposal within 30
days after notifying the public.
Section 5. Effective date.
This act shall take effect in 60 days.
Source: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/billinfo.cfm?syear=2001&sind=0&body=H&type=B&BN=1174
Sample Letter to the Editor
May 10, 2001
Pennsylvania Fluoride Choice Act Needs Co- Sponsors
I am writing today regarding a very serious
public health problem plaguing many residents of
Pennsylvania – the artificial fluoridation of public
drinking water supplies, primarily with
hydrofluosilicic acid. The hydrofluosilicic acid added
to public drinking supplies is an industrial grade
waste by-product of the phosphate fertilizer industry.
Thus, it may be contaminated with lead, arsenic and
cadmium. Industry has been dumping it into our water
supplies for decades to save on disposal costs.
Fluoride is a KNOWN toxin with numerous adverse health
affects. Scientists, medical doctors, and
toxicologists around the world have taught us that
fluoride is stored in our bones, brain, and kidneys.
It is an enzyme inhibitor and protoplasmic poison.
Fluoride may cause cancer (one estimate – 40,000 cases a
year in the U.S.), skeletal fluorosis (brittle bones),
hip fractures, lowered IQ (fluoride concentrates in the
hippocampus of the brain), kidney failure (fluoride
also concentrates in the kidneys), suppressed thyroid,
chronic fatigue syndrome, eczema, and dental
fluorosis (white and brown spots on tooth enamel and
weakening of the teeth). The amount of fluoride added
to our drinking water is the same amount given by
prescription only in tablet form. For concrete,
detailed evidence of the adverse health effects of
fluoride and the history of its use in the United
States, go to www.penweb.org.
Many countries, especially European, have halted or
banned the addition of fluoride to public drinking
water supplies.
Pennsylvania is currently the only state in the
country in which it is considered ILLEGAL to remove
fluoride from a water supply once it has been added.
Representative Dan Surra NEEDS CO-SPONSORS for the
bill he has drafted called the Fluoridation Choice
Act! This bill would allow municipalities and public
water authorities in PA the OPTION of removing
fluoride or fluoridation systems from public water
supplies. The bill provides at least 60 days notice
prior to taking any action, of the intent to cease
adding fluoride to public water supplies, with notice
in writing to all customers served by the water supply
and to the DEP. A public hearing would be held within
30 days after such notification.
Please consider calling, writing, or emailing
your state representative to ask them to consider
co-sponsoring this very important bill. We must all
have a choice in whether or not toxic industrial waste
is added to our drinking water!
You can obtain your state rep’s contact info at
the website of Project Votesmart at
www.vote-smart.org
Thank you,
Jane Doe
Anywhere, PA
Return to Fluoridation page
Return to Pennsylvania Environmental Network
Last modified: May 10, 2001
http://www.pennweb.org/issues/fluoride/choiceact.html