Injunction sought by foes appears to be headed for denial

Fluoride - hailed as a public health success and vilified as a toxic waste product - will be introduced into the water delivered today by the South Blount County Utility District.

The utility's board of commissioners voted at its May meeting Tuesday to fluoridate its water, despite statements of protest by some attending the meeting and picketing on the sidewalk outside before the meeting started.

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©Robert Wilson
Faythe Shores holds her sign high for motorists to see during a protest outside of the South Blount County Utility District on Tuesday. The district is about to introduce fluoride into the water it delivers.


Thomas F. Mabry, attorney for Citizens for Blount County's Future, asked the commissioners to "rethink your position" in light of a lawsuit he filed Monday on behalf of the group, seeking a temporary injunction preventing the fluoridation.

The injunction was denied later Tuesday pending the utility having an opportunity to be heard. Mabry characterized the action as procedural. Mabry said that despite the denial, the lawsuit is expected to go forward.

"You fluoridate the water at your peril," Mabry told the commissioners at their meeting, questioning "what has changed between 2006 and '08?"

South Blount chose not to add fluoride to its water when it opened its water treatment plant about four years ago. That decision remained unchanged until earlier this year.

County Mayor Jerry Cunningham has told the utility's board that he will not forward on to the county commission for approval the name of any candidate to the board who will not publicly support fluoridation.

The lawsuit filed Monday says the reversal on fluoridation was designed to "placate" Cunningham, who was "presumably" trying to "appease" campaign contributors.

The mayor has rejected those claims as "blatantly false."

Mabry told the commissioners that they had failed in their duties to inform their customers of the possible hazards of fluoride and to communicate to customers their intention to introduce fluoride into the water.

When he asked commissioners what had changed in the past two years, board Chairwoman Virginia Morton said she would not respond because of the pending litigation.

Mabry accused the commission of "hiding behind the litigation." He said that the commissioners had opportunities to answer his allegations and did not and now were using the lawsuit as a reason not to respond again. "How convenient is that?" he asked.

Linda King, listed as plaintiff in the suit along with "14,000 John and Jane Does," representing the utility's other customers, said she has 1,200 names on petitions in opposition to fluoridation.

"I know you're being forced by Mayor Cunningham to take this action," she said. "I couldn't sleep at night if I knew I was poisoning my neighbors" as she said the utility will be doing by fluoridating the water.