A recent federal court ruling may impact how much or if Parsons and other communities add fluoride to the water supply.
Parsons Utilities Director Derek Clevenger discussed the issue with city commissioners on Monday. Clevenger said he knows there are strong passions on both sides of the issue. Parsons currently adds fluoride to its water at a rate between .5 and .7 milligrams per liter, which is within a federally recommended rate to prevent cavities.
The U.S. Public Health Service recommends fluoridation to prevent dental decay. The PHS panel that provided the recommendation considered sources of fluoride intake and recommended 0.7 mg/L as the concentration that maximizes fluoride’s oral health benefits while minimizing potential harms, such as dental fluorosis, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website says.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends that drinking water contain no more than 2.0 mg/L of fluoride, according to the CDC.
In 2017, Food and Water Watch, an environmental advocacy organization, was one of the plaintiffs suing the EPA in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, California. The plaintiffs claim that fluoridation could impact the IQ of children who consume it, according to an Associated Press article in September. The federal judge paused the case in 2020 to await results of the National Toxicology Program report on fluoridation.
In August, the NTP determined “with moderate confidence” that there is a link between higher levels of fluoride exposure and lower IQ in kids. The agency based its conclusion on studies involving fluoride levels at about twice the recommended limit for drinking water, or 1.5 mg/L.
The federal judge ordered the EPA to further regulate fluoride in drinking water because high levels could pose a risk to the intellectual development of children. U.S. District Judge Edward Chen cautioned that it’s not certain that the amount of fluoride typically added to water is causing lower IQ in kids, but he concluded that mounting research points to an unreasonable risk that it could be. He ordered the EPA to take steps to lower that risk, but didn’t say what those measures should be, according to the AP story.
Parsons city commissioners have discussed the matter in the past. Local dentists have spoken in favor of continued fluoridation of the water.
Clevenger said the city is still adding fluoride while the EPA re-evaluates. “They’re in a corner and they have to do something,” Clevenger told commissioners.
“We’re still feeding it. If it was left up to me we wouldn’t. It’s not my call,” he said.
He said there is naturally occurring fluoride
See FLUORIDE, Page 3.
in water, though health officials say that’s not at a level to prevent cavities, according to the CDC website.
Commissioner Tom Shaw said he would rather the city wait to see how the new administration addresses the matter and then hear from local dentists again before deciding how to act.
“There’s a lot of evidence that fluoride is a good thing in the drinking water instead of a bad thing,” Shaw said.
Commissioner Leland Crooks said dental professionals think fluoridation is nothing but a win for health.
In other matters, the commission: — Heard a request from Jim Swan to allow exceptions to the new law restricting parking in yards. He said he parks his car in his yard close to his house because of his disability, especially when he’s coming and going from his house. He said the extra walk to his garage at the other end of his property when he has to run errands causes him pain. He had been told by the former code enforcement officer that he risked a fine if he continued to park on his yard. He asked if a medical exception could be included in the law. Commissioners will consider that at a future meeting.
— Approved the renewal for health insurance through Blue Cross/Blue Shield for 2025. Rates will go up about 6.3%.
— Agreed to pay Bettis Asphalt $795,806.02 for work done so far on the asphalt resurfacing project.
— Approved and agreement with Burns and McDonnell for professional services on the Main Street sidewalk replacement project. The total cost will be $138,864, which includes design work, surveying and design construction services.
— Scheduled a special meeting for 4:30 p.m. Monday to work on providing needed information for the League of Kansas Municipalities to move forward with the search for a new city manager. The meeting will be in closed session. City Manager Debbie Lamb will retire in March.
— Moved the next work session this month to noon on Wednesday, Nov. 27. The work session would normally be on Thursday, which is Thanksgiving Day.
— Accepted a bid from Superior Emergency Response Vehicles for a 2025 Ford Interceptor SUV for patrol for $64,452.44 and a vehicle for the K-9 team for $68,812.44.
— Approved an ordinance that adds special assessments on properties found with nuisance abatements that the city had to deal with, including demolitions, for May through September. The assessments total $67,728.10.
