Massachusetts
WATER FLUORIDATION STATUS:
- 59.1% of Massachusetts’ public water supplies are fluoridated.
- To see if your town is fluoridated, click here.
- To learn when your town was fluoridated, and which fluoridation chemical it uses, click here.
water fluoridation accidents:
- AUGUST 2000 – Wakefield: Error with fluoridation equipment leads to fluoride levels as high as 23 ppm. Local health officials claim no one is affected, however news reports interview at least one resident with diarrhea and dizziness. (SOURCE: Boston Herald, 2000)
LATEST NEWS:
- To see the latest news on fluoride developments in Massachusetts, click here.
- To see an updated list of Massachusetts’ professionals calling for an end to fluoridation, click here.
Massachusetts’ FLUORIDATION LAW:
- The State of Massachusetts does not mandate fluoridation. Local governments control fluoridation policy in MA. State law enables a community through a Board of Health order to implement fluoridation. Implementation of fluoridation is?subject to a 90-day waiting period during which a petition for referendum may be filed opposing the practice. City governments and citizens can discontinue fluoridation by a referendum vote. To learn more about these laws, click here.
Of Special Interest:
- The Natick Report of 1997: Should Natick Fluoridate? A Report to the Town and Board of Selectmen. Prepared by the Natick Fluoridation Study Committee.
- Wilmington report by Gregory Erickson, Director of Public Health, Wilmington. “A Discussion on Whether the Board of Health Should Order the Fluoridation of the Municipal Water Supply.” February 15, 2000.
DATA ON ORAL HEALTH:
FAN’S STATE COORDINATOR IN Massachusetts:
If you live in MA and want to get the fluoride out of your water contact Mike Dolan, FAN’s Massachusetts state coordinator.
Massachusetts COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE REJECTED FLUORIDATION:
| Community | Date |
| Amesbury | November 8, 2011 |
| Littleton | May 10, 2008 |
| Yarmouth | May 6, 2008 |
| Methuen | November 5, 2002 |
| Plainville | April 1, 2002 |
| Worcester | November 7, 2001 |
| Brewster | May 15, 2001 |
| Wilmington | February 15, 2000 |
| Barnstable (Cape Cod) | November 4, 1993 |
FLUORIDE POLLUTION SOURCES IN MASSACHUSETTS:
In 2008, Massachusetts ranked #38 out of 48 states for Hydrogen Fluoride releases (187,516 pounds) into the environment. The following data comes from EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory (TRI). “Total releases” includes both water and air pollution. It’s important to note, however, that not all industries or sources that release fluoride into the environment are included in the TRI.
| 2008 Releases (in pounds) |
Type of Industry | Name of Industry |
| 68,216 | Coal-fired power plant | DOMINION ENERGY BRAYTON POINT LLC. BRAYTON POINT RD, SOMERSET, Massachusetts 02726 (BRISTOL) |
| 66,000 | Coal-fired power plant | MOUNT TOM GENERATING CO LLC. 200 NORTHAMPTON ST, HOLYOKE, Massachusetts 01040 (HAMPDEN) |
| 42,914 | Computers/Electronics | EVERGREEN SOLAR INC. 112 BARNUM RD, DEVENS, Massachusetts 01434 (MIDDLESEX) |
| 3,369 | Fabricated Metals | SOMERSET POWER LLC. 1606 RIVERSIDE AVE, SOMERSET, Massachusetts 02726 (BRISTOL) |
| 1,967 | Computers/Electronics | WYMAN-GORDON CO. 244 WORCESTER ST BOX 8001, NORTH GRAFTON, Massachusetts 01536 (WORCESTER) |
| 276 | Computers/Electronics | ANALOG DEVICES INC/WILMINGTON MANUFACTURING. 804 WOBURN ST, WILMINGTON, Massachusetts 01887 (MIDDLESEX) |
| 74 | Computers/Electronics | SCHOTT SOLAR INC. 4 SUBURBAN PARK DR, BILLERICA, Massachusetts 01821 (MIDDLESEX) |
