USA - Cities year ahead of fed fluoride level

Cities year ahead of fed fluoride level
From Staff Reports
Cumberland Times-News The Cumberland Times-News Sun Jan 15, 2012, 10:04 PM EST
CUMBERLAND — Although the federal government expects to announce a final recommendation concerning the preferred level of fluoride in drinking water this spring, both Cumberland and Frostburg have already reacted by lowering their levels.
About a year ago, a coalition of federal agencies suggested that the level of fluoride should be 0.7 milligrams per liter of water after a study found increasing levels can contribute to fluorosis, or discoloration of the teeth, among adolescents.
Since then, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been inundated with public comment. “Comments have been reviewed. We expect to have a final recommendation in the spring,” said Linda Orgain, health communications specialist for the CDC Oral Health Program in Atlanta, on Monday afternoon. She declined to provide any further information.
Both Cumberland and Frostburg took a proactive approach, however, and set their fluoride levels below the 0.7 goal. “We’ve been at .6 just to be a little bit below that,” said Rodney Marvin, superintendent of the Cumberland water filtration plant, on Tuesday. “We wanted to comply with what they recommended.”
Marvin said that the city lowered its levels Jan. 21, 2011, with the approval of the Allegany County Health Department, Maryland Department of the Environment and Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The city’s drinking water supplies at Lakes Koon and Gordon are located in Bedford County, Pa.
When the draft recommendation was made last year, the city’s fluoride range was .8 to 1.3 milligrams per liter, Marvin said. At that time, city officials had not voiced their intent to lower the levels.
Frostburg officials, however, indicated last year that they were adjusting their fluoride levels to meet the new standard, even though it was not in effect yet....