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Lambton politicians dismiss request to remove fluoride from water

December 5, 2024

Lambton won’t be removing fluoride from its water anytime soon.

Former Sarnia City-County Councillor Margaret Bird sent a letter to county council asking for the move citing a decision in a US court in California. Sarnia City/County Councillor Bill Dennis took up her argument at the Nov. 27 council meeting asking for a report from staff.

Dennis said Sarnia looked at the issue and brought in “the top expert from Calgary” but “the council of the day ignored his expertise or his recommendations.”

He added Robert R Kennedy who US President Donald Trump has nominated to be the US Secretary of Health “stated he intends to take fluoride out of the freshwater system in the US.

“The science shows it is very very dangerous…the science is there to prove it,” Dennis contends.

Councillor Bev Hand from Point Edward, who was also on the Lambton Area Water Supply System board, disputed that saying when the issue was reviewed, the board “didn’t ignore the evidence…there were experts were talking on both sides,” she said saying they made a decision based on that evidence.

“I think the committee was paying more attention to the political science and not the real science,” Dennis said in reply.

Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley says the people of Sarnia voted to use fluoride in the water in a plebiscite. “If people want to remove it, there is a process to do this, it just takes a bit of work.”

He added it is a municipal decision, not a county issue.

All the councillors, with the exception of Dennis, turned down his request.

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