Steve Metzer
Tulsa World Capitol Bureau Staff Writer
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OKLAHOMA CITY — Tulsans and most other Oklahomans who rely on public water supplies continue to drink and use water that has been fluoridated, despite a shift in state policy ordered months ago by Gov. Kevin Stitt.
In June, Stitt issued an executive order that, among other things, called on the State Department of Health to no longer make a recommendation that fluoride be added as part of the treatment process of public water supplies. At that time, he also ordered the Health Department and Department of Environmental Quality to conduct a comprehensive review and report on all current policies, regulations, procedures and practices related to the fluoridation of public water supplies in Oklahoma.
The report, completed recently and turned over to the Governor’s Office, indicates that more than 2.1 million Oklahomans are linked into systems that provide them with fluoridated water. More than 1.7 million live in cities like Tulsa that have had longstanding policies to follow federal guidelines regarding fluoridation. Another 447,000 or so live in communities that are part of “consecutive” systems that draw water from larger neighbors.
So, according to the report, approximately 2,174,828 Oklahomans currently are linked into public systems that fluoridate.
The decision to participate in community water fluoridation “has been and continues to be made at the local level,” the report notes.
“(However), in accordance with the Executive Order and as detailed in our submitted report, any state-level promotion or endorsement of fluoridation of the public water supply has ceased,” Erica Rankin-Riley, external affairs manager for the Health Department, said in an email.
Carson Colvin, a media representative for the city of Tulsa, said no change is currently anticipated in a local water fluoridation policy that dates back more than seven decades.
According to an official statement from the city, the policy has been based on historical federal drinking water standards.
“If and when the Environmental Protection Agency and the CDC provide new, recommended dosage rates, the City of Tulsa will review those recommendations alongside our local health officials. Because the decision to use fluoride is left to municipalities, any decisions on fluoride will be made based on the recommendation of the Tulsa Health Department to both the Tulsa Metropolitan Utility Authority and Tulsa City Council as fluoride rates are set by ordinance,” the statement read.
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Colvin said six other active users and three emergency users are linked into the city of Tulsa’s water supply.
“For Rural Water Districts, we have eight active users and one emergency user, (so) the total is 14 active users and four emergency users,” Colvin said.
In April, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced a decision to review new scientific information on “potential health risks” of fluoride in drinking water. So far, the review hasn’t resulted in any formal change in federal policy.
Almost all water contains some naturally occurring fluoride. Skylar McElhaney, director of the Office of Continuous Improvement at the Department of Environmental Quality, said it is the DEQ’s responsibility to ensure that systems follow federal regulations to keep fluoride in safe ranges.
Systems that fluoridate must hold permits issued by the DEQ and only use approved compounds that are properly stored, handled and applied. They must analyze their water twice a day for fluoride content, submit monthly operating reports to the DEQ and Health Department and submit a monthly validation sample to an accredited laboratory.
“If a system that currently fluoridates decides to no longer fluoridate, it could immediately cease application of the approved fluoride compound. However, as with all treatment changes, they should also notify DEQ of the decision,” McElhaney said.
She said the DEQ has not heard from any public water systems that currently fluoridate of any plan to stop.
In addition to Tulsa, primary public water systems in the area that currently fluoridate include systems operated by Bartlesville, Broken Arrow, Muskogee, Sand Springs, Sapulpa, Skiatook, and Tahlequah. Other neighboring communities, such as Bixby and Jenks, draw water from the Tulsa system.
Stitt’s executive order cited “growing public concern, principles of informed consent and evolving scientific research” that have raised questions about the continued appropriateness of mandatory fluoridation of public drinking water, a practice that historically has been supported by the state as a means of promoting dental health.
According to the Fluoride Action Network, an organization that opposes water fluoridation, most other nations have rejected fluoridation as a way to improve public health. It cites evidence that “in an era of fluoridated toothpastes and other consumer products that boost dental health, the potential risks from consuming fluoridated water may outweigh the benefits for some individuals.”
However, the American Dental Association has put up a strong defense of the practice. In a new report, it estimated that if fluoride were to be removed from public water systems in Oklahoma it would result in nearly $507 million in increased costs for dental care over five years. It has been estimated that fluoridated water reduces the incidence of cavities in children and adults by 25%.
steve.metzer@tulsaworld.com
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Steve Metzer
Tulsa World Capitol Bureau Staff Writer
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