(VIDEO OF JASON CARROLL’S REPORT SUPPLIED TO THE BUSINESS JOURNAL BY CNN NEWSOURCE)
Against a background of growing controversy over the use of fluoride in public drinking water supplies, due in part to Donald Trump’s selection of anti-fluoride activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the Department of Health and Human Services, CNN’s Jason Carroll spent time in Yorktown preparing a report on the fluoride situation in that Westchester community.
Among those interviewed by Carroll for his report were Yorktown Town Councilwoman Susan Siegel and residents Holly Davis, Linda Miller, Dr. Marizelle Arce, and Melanie Ryan, along with Yorktown Town Supervisor Ed Lachterman.
On Sept. 26, Lachterman ordered the suspension of water fluoridation in the town, citing a recent federal court ruling. U.S. District Judge Edward M. Chen had ruled that the current standard for water fluoridation in the U.S., set at 0.7 mg/L, presents an “unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment.”
“In light of this federal ruling and the long-standing concerns expressed by many Yorktown residents, I have decided to suspend water fluoridation as a precautionary measure,” said Lachterman. “Our priority is the safety and well-being of our community, and we believe it is prudent to pause fluoridation to further assess its potential impacts.”
The Town Board held a public hearing Oct. 15 on the matter of fluoride in the public water supply. That was followed at its meeting on Oct. 22 by the board voting 3 to 1 to adopt a local law that gives the Town Board the authority to decide, by resolution and without holding a public hearing, whether to fluoridate the town’s water supply. In a separate 3 to 1 vote, the board approved a resolution supporting Lachterman’s Sept. 26 order suspending fluoridation.
Yorktown’s suspension of water fluoridation means that Somers residents also will not receive water that has fluoride added to it.
“Removing fluoride from Somers’ drinking water would give residents the freedom to choose their own sources of fluoride, ensuring personal control over their health decisions,” said Somers Supervisor Robert Scorrano. “Additionally, concerns about potential long-term health risks from fluoride exposure support reevaluating its use in public water systems. Somers applauds Yorktown for making this decision.”
The Northern Westchester Joint Water Works resumed adding fluoride to Yorktown’s water in August after a seven-year pause. The fluoridation resumed after upgrades to the Amawalk and Catskill Treatment Plants to meet more stringent health and safety requirements. Both treatment facilities began fluoridating the water supply, using 20-23% Hydrofluorosilicic Acid, at a target dosage of 0.7mg/l.
Carroll’s story first appeared on the CNN program “Anderson Cooper 360.”
