Cover Sheet

Morgan Yarnik
Fluoride Free Austin, Story 5
Fluoride Free Austin
November 12, 2014
Budget line:
Fluoride, a naturally occurring substance in ground rock, is present in drinking water. Fluorosilicic acid,
and industrial waste is added to our drinking water, believed to promote dental health. Linda Greene and
Rae Nadler-Olenick are founders of Fluoride Free Austin and have been speaking at citizen commissions
for the past six years. They have been attempting to educate the city council, who are the people that
contract the fluorosilicic acid to be injected into our water, and public about the harmful affects of
fluoridation on the body.
Sources:
Rae Nadler-OlenickFounder of Fluoride Free Austin
o Phone: 512-371-3786
o Date(s) contacted: Interviewed her after the city council meeting on Thursday, Oct. 23.
Followed up with a phone interview on Oct. 29.
o Info: We discussed how she got interested in the topic of fluoride, how and why she
started fluoride free Austin, her efforts so far, all of the information she has researched,
and has pointed me in the direction of different sources to speak with.
Linda GreeneCo-founder of Fluoride Free Austin
o Phone: 512-619-4353
o Date(s) contacted: Interviewed her (with Olenick) after the city council meeting on
Thursday, Oct. 23. Did a follow-up interview with her on Oct. 28th and Oct. 29th.
o Info: After the city council meeting we discussed how and why she got involved in the
anti-fluoridation movement. She also told me about how Fluoride Free Austin got started,
what fluoride is, reactions of city council members, her efforts beyond speaking at city
councils citizen commissions, referred me to look at the Fluoride Action Network
website and how she and Olenick are looking forward to a new district-elected city
council, which they hope will be more receptive to their efforts.
Kathleen OConnellFounder of Communities For Thriving Water Fluoride-Free San Marcos
o Phone: 512-550-7788
o Email: kathleen@getyourdreamon.com
o Date(s) contacted: I called her on Oct. 30 to get information regarding the antifluoridation movement and their successes in San Marcos and at Texas State University
o Info: Olenick gave me her number. OConnell said they have had much success in San
Marcos and at Texas State University with the anti-fluoridation movement.
Zach GreeneCommunications contact for Mayor
o Phone: 518-573-7875
o Email: zach.greene@austintexas.gov
o Date(s) contacted: I have contacted him multiple times via email and phone on Oct. 16,
28, 29, 30.
o Info: I have been trying to schedule and interview with the mayor to see the fluoridation
movement from the city councils perspective. He said he wasnt available for interview.
Zach Greene is now getting me in contact with another city council member. Still waiting
to hear back from him.
Carole Barasch Manager-Communications and Community Development Austin/Travis
County Health and Human Services Department
o Phone: 214-972-6115, 512-845-3041

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Email: Carole.Barasch@austintexas.gov
Date(s) contacted: November 4
Info: I called her and asked her who in the Health and Human Services Department could
direct me to an official to confirm and explain why the city fluoridates the water. She
referred me to Janet Pichette (below) and helped me get in contact with her. We also
coordinated this through email.
Janet Pichette-- chief epidemiologist and toxicologist for the Austin/Travis County Health and
Human Services Department.
o Phone: 512/972-5486
o Email: Janet.Pichette@austintexas.gov
o Date(s) contacted: I emailed her on Nov. 4 and gave her a call around 8p.m.
o Info: She gave me insight on why the city fluoridates the water.
Jeremey Wisemandoctor at Wiseman Family Practice
o Phone: 409-789-3521
o Email: jwiseman2000@yahoo.com
o Date(s) contacted: Intially emailed him on Nov. 3, he contacted me back via email and I
interviewed him over the phone Nov. 9 at 8:45 p.m.
o Info: Explained his stance on the fluoridation of drinking water, explained negative
health affects, and explained how to stay away from fluoride.
Invisible sources/web sites used:
http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/basicinformation/fluoride.cfm 2
http://www.cdc.gov/fluoridation/faqs/
http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/basicinformation/fluoride.cfm
https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2011/01/13/2011-637/proposed-hhs-recommendation-forfluoride-concentration-in-drinking-water-for-prevention-of-dental
http://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=215546
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/14963a4d6c0ec18e?projector=1
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/features/fluoride-childrens-health-grandjean-choi/
Contract between city council and Mosaic
o http://www.austintexas.gov/financeonline/contract_catalog/OCCViewMA.cfm?cd=MA&
dd=2200&id=GA140000050&cat=M
o http://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=215546
water reports
o http://www.austintexas.gov/department/water-quality-reports-major-industrial-users
Other Communities that have ended fluoride
o http://fluoridealert.org/researchers/states/texas/
Mosaic Website
o http://www.mosaicco.com/Who_We_Are/overview.htm
San-Marcos Movement
o http://www.getyourdreamon.com/

Fluoride Free Austin

Morgan Yarnik
After six years of research papers piling up on coffee tables, numerous press releases, interviews at local
news stations and countless three-minute speeches at Austin city council meetings, founders of Fluoride
Free Austin havent given up the fight to end the fluoridation of drinking water in the city of Austin.
The organizations co-founders Linda Greene and Rae Nadler-Olenick have been speaking at city council
meetings to explain that fluoride is not just a natural occurring mineral in water, but an industrial waste
byproduct called fluorosilicic acid. The acid is injected into the citys tap water and can cause adverse
health affects, they contend. They feel their efforts are being ignored by the current city council.
The reason why we are going to city council is that we are speaking the truth and the truth will prevail,
Greene said.
The city of Austin has been fluoridating drinking water since 1973 said Janet Pichette, chief
epidemiologist and toxicologist for the Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department.
Pichette said fluoride is added to drinking water to strengthen teeth and prevent cavities especially for
people who are underserved and dont have access to good healthcare.
The CDC and EPA regulate fluoride concentration levels in drinking water and both promote water
fluoridation.
College Station, Lago Vista, Alamo Heights and Elgin are four Texas cites that have rejected
fluoridation, according to The Fluoride Alert website run by Fluoride Action Network, an international
anti-fluoridation organization. The website also states that 158 communities worldwide have rejected
fluoridation since 2010.
Pichette said the EPA performs studies every five years to determine the relative source contribution of
fluoride in food, toothpaste and naturally occurring in drinking water. The EPA takes the worst-case
scenario and develops an oral reference dose, or maximum amount of fluoride a person can intake before
it becomes harmful.
Greene said overexposure of fluoride can lead to dental fluorosis, a discoloration and pitting of the teeth,
and occurs most frequently due to the exposure of fluoridated water as infants.
Its put in our water strictly as a medicine, Greene said. The government does not have the authority or
should not have the authority to medicate us at one size dose of medicine fits all.
Fluoride Free Austin has brought doctors like Dr. Jeremy Wiseman, with Wiseman Family Practice, to
city council meetings to express his opinions on the negative effects of fluorosilicic acid in the drinking
water supply.
He said that all of the negative affects of fluorosilicic acid are still unknown. What he does know is that
when certain kids drink a lot of tap water, some get dental fluorosis.
Its not life threatening, but its directly from fluoride, theres no question, Wiseman said in a phone
interview. He said the argument is, If this is whats happening to the outside of our bones, our teeth so to
speak, God knows whats happening on the inside.

Wiseman said there is medical evidence of fluoride deposits on the pineal gland in the brain that
negatively affect our bones and thyroids.
Greene and Nadler-Olenick believe that fluoride and fluorosilicic acid have negative effects regardless of
the regulated fluoride levels.
They said the most recent blow to Fluoride Free Austins anti-fluoridation movement was the city
councils two-year contract renewal with Mosaic Crop Nutrition, LLC, the citys flurosilicic acid
provider.
This contract states that the city will pay $1.1 million for fluorosilicic acid over the next two years.
Both women seem hopeful that the new district-elected city council will be more receptive to their antifluoridation efforts.
We look forward to working with the new council members, whoever they may be, Nadler-Olenick said
at the Oct. 23 city council meeting. And to those several of you who have ideas of hanging around, well
see you on the other side.
In neighboring San Marcos, anti-fluoridationists seem to be having quicker success in their movement
than Austin.
Eight months ago, the Associated Student Government at Texas State University passed a resolution
stating the east side of campus will stop using the citys fluoridated water allowing clean water to flow
on all parts of campus, according to the resolution.
Additionally, a year-old anti-fluoridation organization called Communities For Thriving Water FluorideFree San Marcos has been seeing much success in the past year of operation.
Founder Kathleen OConnell said their city council has been receptive to their movement.
She said 15 to 17 volunteers have been stepping up to get a charter petition signed to get the fluoride issue
on the election ballot. They already have 600 registered voters signatures and only need 1,500 total.
OConnell said she doesnt know why there is high community involvement in San Marcos, but people
have also been showing up eight and 10 at a time to speak at the citizen common at city hall.
On the other hand, Fluoride Free Austin doesnt have any volunteers because Greene said they are an
informational network. She said if they were to start a petition, they would need 30,000 signatures to
get this issue on the ballot.
Greene also claims before any anti-fluoride election, the CDC, the Pew Charitable Trusts and other profluoride elements would come out with millions of dollars of pro-fluoride advertising.
Anti-fluoridating attempts have been made at The University of Texas at Austin. A resolution was passed
to add two reverse-osmosis fountains on campus, but no action has been taken.
OConnell, founder of Fluoride-Free San Marcos, is surprised by the lack of efforts from Austin which is
famous for being eco-friendly.

It just makes no sense for Austin, as impressive and green as it is, that the word hasnt gotten out about
what this stuff is, OConnell said.
The future of fluoride in Austin still seems uncertain, but anti-fluoridation movements like Fluoride Free
Austin say they will persist.
Were not going to stop because the truth will come out and we are hoping with this new city council
that theyll see the light, Greene said.