MORGAN JORDAN / THE EAGLE
CONTAMINATION — Dr. Bill Hirzy, chair of AU’s Chemistry Department, worked for the EPA from 1981 to 2008. He says that despite pleas from department employees, the department still refuses to undertake a risk assessment of flouride in drinking water.
The Environmental Protection Agency ignores the dangers of fluoride in drinking water, according to Dr. Bill Hirzy, the chair of AU’s Chemistry Department.
Hirzy discussed conflicts within the EPA, an organization he worked for from 1981 to 2008, in a Kennedy Political Union event Tuesday, Oct. 26.
He served for three years as the president of Local 2050 of the National Federation of Federal Employees, which is a union for workers at EPA’s headquarters in D.C.
After concerns arose regarding the safety of human consumption of fluoride, and despite the urging of many EPA personnel as early as the mid-1980s for the EPA to undertake a risk assessment of fluoride in drinking water, the EPA has still not made this risk assessment, Hirzy said.
“They are scared witless of having to find that fluoride is a carcinogen and setting a maximum contaminant level goal of zero because that would mean the EPA is going to be responsible for the end of the water fluoridation program,” Hirzy said. “EPA knows that there will be enormous political flack for doing that.”
According to its Web site on groundwater and drinking water, the EPA has enforced a four milligrams-per-liter drinking water standard for fluoride, explaining that consumption of water with greater concentrations that over many years can lead to bone disease.
The EPA has also set a secondary standard of two milligrams-per-liter to protect children under 9 years old, or any individuals with permanent teeth developing below the gums, from dental fluorosis. Dental fluorosis can cause these teeth to experience brown staining.
The presence of fluoride in toothpaste is not dangerous because people spit it out after they use it, according to Hirzy.
Hirzy said that a significant factor in the future health of the environment and protection of people from toxic substances is action on the part of current college students.
“My father’s generation was known as the ‘greatest generation’ for having saved civilization from fascism,” Hirzy said. “It’s on you guys now to be the greatest generation too, for saving civilization, period, from the predations that we have done on Mother Earth.”
The event was co-sponsored by EcoSense and AU Solidarity.
Drew Veysey, the president of EcoSense and a senior with a major in Environmental Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences, said that students should emulate Hirzy’s desire to recognize and guard against the risks of toxic substances that threaten the environment.
“Toxic substances are still an environmental hazard,” Veysey said. “They’ve been overshadowed by things like climate change recently, but that doesn’t mean that toxics have gone away.”
The next KPU event will feature Barbara Cummings, the State Department diplomat in residence for the Mid-Atlantic region. She will discuss her career as a Foreign Service officer, and the preparation necessary for such a career. The event will be held Thursday, Oct. 29 in Mary Graydon Center 4 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
You can reach this staff writer at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
4 Comments
nyscof
Oct 29 at 4:47 AM
Dr. Bill Hirzy is an American hero who has steadfastly spoken out about the hazards of ingesting fluoride based on the science.
Too many government employees, hired to protect the American public, don’t. Instead they protect the political will and profits of special interest groups.
Anyone willing and able to look at the science will easily see that fluoridation has never been backed by valid science.
Fluoridation is a house of cards built upon the well-meaning but wrong beliefs of early dental researchers who thought that fluoride was a nutrient required to prevent tooth decay.
Science now tells us that fluoride is neither a nutrient nor essential for healthy teeth. However, fluoride is harmful to health. See: http://www.FluorideAction.Net/health
People need to visit their local city or town councils and tell them fluoridation is a failed concept that’s wasting millions of dollars.
And people should tell your federal representatives to stop fluoridation by signing a letter to Congress http://congress.FluorideAction.Net
Dr. Hirzy can’t do it alone. He has testified on this issue before Congress several times. Congress needs a groundswell of supporters before they act on almost anything.
We all need to do our part.
for more info
Fluoridation 101
http://www.orgsites.com/ny/nyscof
Fluoride Action Network
http://www.FluorideAction.Net
Jack Cook
Oct 29 at 7:22 AM
Dr. Bill Hirzy will be recorded by history as one of the primary and clear voices of science that led us out of the most successful scam in American history. More than sixty years of public policy backed by extremely weak science, big industrial money, and a political system poised to crush any opposition from within the dental community, must soon give way to sane and rational analysis by scientists who have no commercial bias in their investigations. Fluoride’s failure as a public health policy is now being revealed and understood by more and more citizens who care deeply about the effects of industry and commercial manufacturing on our environment. I met this man when I first began researching the issue more than two years ago. He made more sense than anyone I spoke with who currently holds an office of public trust in government. He has expressed his strong convictions in Washington before a Congressional committee, though few in Congress seem willing to act on his warnings. Thanks, Dr. Hirzy, for continuing to educate the public. We need more like you.
Jim Schultz
Oct 29 at 8:26 PM
I have watched the video of Dr. Hirzy speaking to congress many times. His voice is strong and his look steely eyed with logic and science in his words. Congress and EPA management somehow have lost the will to do right by the American people.
They have somehow ignored lawsuits and now even 11 EPA unions asking congress to halt fluoridation in 2005. This is not one lone whistle blower reporting deception and altered documents. Dr. Robert Carton lit the torch in 1985 and those with their eyes open can see the facts clearly. 29 Feb 19 2008 19 EPA unions with 10,000 strong professionals asked again to halt fluoridation and set a goal based on science just like arsenic and lead of ZERO. Do what the 2006 NRC requested. Revise the MCLG to a safe level for those at greatest risk for a lifetime of exposures of a cumulative toxin with no proven nutritional benefit.
Brass knuckle politics by special interest groups is harming the health of Americans.
Those in power are terrified of debate as they know how weak the fluoridation proof is. Dr Tomar and Dr Easley use the method of attacking those that speak out and hiding from debate. Gainesville Fl is being lead by the nose by Dr Tomar as the expert of all things fluoridation. This is a whole body toxicity issue and the people least qualified to speak are the are the conga line of dentists willing to blindly repeat ADA talking points of safe for all and everyone benefits.
Dr. Michael Easley was quoted last year speaking about those opposed to fluoridation “Nobody drags anyone to a water faucet and makes them drink. Dig a well. Move out of the country.” This from a Florida health department professional paid to protect and serve the public. Seems he does neither well and health department thought it acceptable behavior.
Thank you Dr Hirzy for being a voice of sanity loud and clear.
Anita Knight
Oct 29 at 9:12 PM
The phosphate mines and fertilizer industries here in central Florida are the source of fluoridation agents which are ‘commercial grade’. Request the AWWA Standard for Fluorosilicic Acid B703-06, from your local utilities department. The foreword notes Florida’s phosphate industries are the source and much more. Page ix states: “The transfer of contaminants from chemicals to processed water or the residual solids is becoming a problem of greater concern.” Then page 13 is an entire page of contaminants, from heavy metals arsenic, lead, etc. to radionuclides as uranium, radium 226-228, Alpha and Beta particles.
Below here is the Florida Institute of Phosphate Research report that lists the environmental damages that made the “Wet Scrubber” process necessary to capture the contaminants, into..Fluorosilicic Acid, used to fluoridate our drinking water. The 4th paragraph notes the process, and second page notes presence of uranium and its decay series which ends with 2 isotopes of lead.
*********
Florida Institute of Phosphate Research - FIPR Report 2003 ...
Overview of FIPR’s Public & Environmental Health Program and Priorities with
current and .... Brian Birky has directed this area of research since 2000. ...
http://www.fipr.state.fl.us/FIPRreport2003/research-area-public-health2003.htm - 25k - Cached
I speak from experience concerning dental fluorosis, my son Charlie nearly died at age one year when put on infant formula Neo-Mulsoy, that turned out to have fluorides as high as 7.34 ppm, see online “Charlie’s Story” by George Glasser and Anita Knight, replete with references. One error in references was the Journal of Dental Research, which published another journal the same year, and we just found out a year ago. The ref. should be:
Journal of Dental Research, Special Issue, International Symposium on Fluorides, Vol.69, Feb. 1990.
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