An IMPORTANT LAWSUIT has been brought before a US federal court that has the potential to halt water fluoridation in the United States.
Food and Water Watch et. al. vs. United States Environmental Protection Agency(EPA)
A coalition of environmental, medical, & health groups, is suing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with the potential to end the fluoridation of water across the entire United States.
The case was filed in the US District court for the Northern District of California at San Francisco on April 18, 2017. The EPA sought to have the case dismissed which was denied on Dec. 21. 2017 and the EPA also lost an additional attempt to severely limit the evidence that can be considered by the court. The case is being presided over by the Honorable United States District Judge Edward M. Chen.
The case is being brought under the Toxic Substances Control Act(TSCA) and alleges that the “use of fluoride presents an unreasonable risk of injury to health.” (see 15 USC Section 2605(a))
TSCA directs that EPA consider not only risks to the general public, but to “susceptible subpopulation(s) “, as well. 15 USC Section 2605(b)(4)(A).
Should the court find that the addition of fluoride to our drinking water presents an unreasonable risk of injury to health, the court can compel the EPA to stop allowing drinking water to be fluoridated under TSCA.
Plaintiffs argue that there is now sufficient knowledge that the addition of fluoride to our water supplies, and in particular, its ingestion, is causing loss of brain function in our populace, and therefore must be halted.
Should you be interested in learning more about this case you may want to read the Complaint filed by the Plaintiffs, a copy of which in file form is attached below.
Currently this case is in the “discovery” process, where each side to the case is gathering information and documentation to be utilized in arguments before the court. Discovery is a pre-trial procedure in a lawsuit in which each party to the suit, under the laws of civil procedure, can obtain evidence from the other party or parties by such means as…. requests for answers to interrogatories (questions pertaining to the lawsuit directed at individuals or entities involved), requests for certain pertinent documents, and the deposition of witnesses that the other side is intending to call at the hearing stage of the trial. The actual hearing of this case is now scheduled for August of 2019.
Complaint filed 4-18-17