Fluoride

The old Agrico plant, located northwest of Brown Barge Middle School near I-110, has been declared a public health hazard by federal regulators who cited high concentrations of arsenic, fluoride, and lead on the site. More than 1 million pounds of fluoride will eventually flow into Bayou Texar. In a June 1992, confidential Agrico Chemical Co. Superfund site report, Conoco consultant Michael McDonald estimated 1.3 million pounds of fluoride would pour into Bayou Texar over 75 years. McDonald's report, marked "Confidential!" also notes that about 17,600 pounds of fluoride would flow into the ECUA's No. 9 and East wells south of the Agrico plant, though he speculated at least some of the fluoride could come from sources other than Agrico. The two wells were closed in the late 1990s. Levin Fights Fluoride

In Escambia County, since 2001, the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA) has paid to have Hydrofluorisilicic Acid (also known as Hexafluorosilicic Acid H2SiF6) added to public drinking water supplies. The County currently pays $5.00/gallon with a maximum expenditure of $300,000 annually.

The National Research Council released a 2006 report entitled "Fluoride in Drinking Water: A Scientific Review of EPA's Standards," which notes a growing body of scientific research linking fluoride exposure to disruption of the nervous and endocrine systems, including the brain, thyroid and pineal gland. According to data presented in the report, many Americans (particularly children), living in so-called “low fluoride” (1 ppm) areas, exceed the fluoride doses associated with thyroid disturbances.