For Immediate Release, 10/3/12.

The Board of Directors of The Greater Pine Island Water Association, Inc. has decided to hold a vote of its membership in order to determine their opinion on our plans to increase the existing fluoride level of the Greater Pine Island Water supply to the optimal level recommended by the U. S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. (0.7 parts per million)

The Board has further decided to delay the decision of increasing fluoride pending the vote.

Mike Faulkner, GPIWA Board President, noted: “Our board’s vote to fluoridate in May came after a good deal of study and was unanimous. We felt strongly that it was beneficial, safe and the right thing to do.

We still feel that way. But we have received feedback pro and con about our decision, so our board wants to give all of our members an opportunity to weigh in on this question. Our counsel has advised us that the upcoming referendum cannot be binding. However, our board will vote again about fluoridation after the community has voted, and I fully expect that our board will vote in accordance with those results. So, I would encourage each and every member of our water association to take the time to let us know your opinion by responding to the ballot that we will send out.”

Greater Pine Island Water Association, Inc.
239-283-1071
(end of news release)
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The Greater Pine Island Water Company Board Meeting was held on Sept. 25th, 2012. The meeting was called to order at 3:00 PM by Water Board President Mike Faulkner, the meeting had to be moved to the Pine Island Methodist Church to accommodate the fourty members from Citizens For Safe Water and guest who attend the meeting, the majority of whom were vociferously against the Water Co’s plan to incorporate additional fluoride into their water supply.

Faulkner explained to the group that since there were so many people who wanted to speak they would have to limit the time to 3 minutes per person. Jack Mills from Citizens For Safe Water opened the public meeting by reading sheets of stats against Fluoride in the water.

Randy Parker then addressed the Water Board. He said that if the Water Board continued to pursue this plan the opponents would picket the Water Board Members homes and businesses and would block the Fluoride truck from entering the Island. Furthermore, they also would not allow Water Company employees on their respective properties to read meters, etc. Parker also said “That they would consider suing the GPIWA to stop the program.”

Bokeelia resident and Pine Island business owner Mark Dean spoke for well over thirty five minutes. Reading to the 50 members and Board of Directors information he said he gathered from the internet detailing all the conceivable dangers of fluoride in the water.
Dean stood in front of the room drinking distilled bottled water he had brought to the meeting. At the top of his voice, he repeatedly pointed at one of the members of the board and said that he (the board member) should know better than anyone that these type of toxic chemicals cause Cancer, Down Syndrome, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and various other diseases.

He presented to the Water Board as evidence a small tube of toothpaste, which he read the warning on the back “Keep out of reach of children under 6 years of age. If more than used for brushing is accidentally swallowed, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away.” This same warning is on 99% of household products and does not address the amount of Fluoride, if any, in these products. Dean addressed an employee of the Water Company who had to stand up for a moment, pointing at him and said, “Are you afraid of something, why are you standing over there?”

Many in the audience requested that Dean stop talking and to sit down. He turned to the group and said “Do you really want me to stop” the group replied “Yes.”

Roger Wood a resident from St. James City address the group and said, “My entire family grew up in Chicago and we drank fluoridated water every day and my grandmother lived to be 97 with no health issues. Wood also said “Most states are now putting fluoride in the drinking water.”

A few more people spoke and expressed their dislike of fluoride being put in the Pine Island drinking water.

After a three hour discussion Mike Faulkner, President of the Greater Pine Island Water Board thanked everyone for coming and said the entire board would read the information presented to the board and would get back with the members of Citizens For Safe Water group to their findings.

The Board Members of the GPIWA live and work on Pine Island and indicated that they drink the same water.