Advocacy Project: Letter to Public Official

December 7, 2009
Senator Amy Klobuchar
United States Senate
302 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-2304

Senator Amy Klobuchar,

Our nation is currently in need of water system that will protect our community members and children from the harmful effects of inappropriate additives to our fluoridated water. This is a reason that I’m urging you to vote yes to S. 2093 To suspend temporarily the duty on Perfluorobutane sulfonyl fluoride.

This bill, which was created to take a closer look into what was being added to our fluoridated water systems, has therefore lead me to some interesting findings on what should be allowed in. The United States International Trade Commission illustrated that perfluorbutane sulfonyl fluoride is a product of a synthetic organic chemical that is used to manufacture protective coatings for apparel and home furnishings, and to manufacture specialty surfactants. This means that the fluoride that is being investigated more in depth has been proven to not even be ingested in humans let alone be found in fluoridated water.


I believe the implementation of this policy will allow for a change in many American lives. This policy will provide appropriate actions to protect the health of the people and the people that support you. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), approximately 286 million Americans receive their tap water from a community water system. These public water systems are monitored and regulated as set by the EPA. Removing this fluoride from the public water systems will decreasing the amount individuals that become sick from this unnecessary additive. The American Dental Association is an organization which fights for fluoride to remain intact in our government’s water system and has made positive strides and efforts to get the public behind them. In turn an expectation of a clean and healthy fluoridated water system must be help up by the government which requires help from the United States’ Department of Health Service’s Division of Drinking Water and Environmental Management along with the public water systems that are subject to the EPA. 


I’ve found that a memorandum on a proposed tariff legislation of the 110th Congress also passed a temporary duty suspension on June 12, 2008 facing this same issue: H. R. 4975 To suspend temporarily the duty on perfluorobutane sulfonyl fluoride. These results showed positive action and allowed the harmful fluoride to be temporarily suspended through December 31, 2011. Many lives can be changed by your approval of voting YES to this bill.

Your community along with the community that has elected you to be in office is being affected firsthand by this contaminated water. I think families, children, and perhaps even pets who end up consuming this water have the right to know that the water they wash with, bathe with, and consume on a daily basis is contaminated by a fluoride that should not be found in our water systems. I hope you understand the necessity for the S. 2093 To suspend temporarily the duty on Perfluorobutane sulfonyl fluoride and urge you to vote YES to create a safer, and healthier public water quality for all Americans. If you need any additional information or would like to contact me, do not hesitate to do so. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
Ashley Goodmund
(contact info)