(NaturalNews) Things are heating up on the fluoride front as states and municipalities all across the country rethink their official water fluoridation policies. According to the Fluoride Action Network (FAN), some 16 pieces of legislation across nine states were introduced or passed just within the past year to protect the public against this pervasive poison.

In Utah, for instance, the Safe Drinking Water Disclosure Act was passed back in April, requiring that all shipments of fluoride chemicals coming into the state be accompanied by certificates of analysis detailing the presence of any outside contaminants. The law reportedly took effect on July 1, allowing local water utilities to end their fluoridation programs in the event that certificates are not provided.

Theguardian.com, By: Adam Vaughan, 12/18/2013

Anti-fracking protesters trying to stop an oil drilling operations in Salford have parked a bus across the site. The campaigning group Platform said that there were five people locked to the bus, which is reportedly blocking the entrance at the Barton Moss site run by IGas. The action follows a similar one on Monday, when protesters temporarily blocked the heavily fortified site by dumping a 17-metre wind turbine blade. The blade was subsequently removed.

For more on this story visit www.theguardian.com

Common Dreams, By: Lauren McCauley, 12/16/2013

(Photo: 350maine.org)

Following Big Oil's narrow victory over a grassroots initiative designed to block the construction of a tar sands export terminal, residents of South Portland, Maine are attempting to overrule that vote with a bid to outlaw the flow and processing of tar sands within city borders. On Wednesday evening, members of the South Portland City Council voted unanimously to create a Draft Ordinance Committee with the explicit purpose of creating a new land-use rule to "prevent the flow and processing of unrefined tar sands in South Portland,” local media reports. “It’s very pleasing to see all of us this evening take a stand that we do not want tar sands in our community and that we will not let it happen,” said Councilor Tom Blake.

For more on this story visit www.commondreams.org

ABC, By: Eric Tlozek, 12/17/2013

The 2011 flood victims planning to sue the State Government and dam operators say justice is more important than compensation. Hundreds of people last night packed into a hotel at Ipswich, west of Brisbane, to hear from law firm Maurice Blackburn about its planned class action.

International litigation funder Bentham-IMF recently committed to financing the suit. Maurice Blackburn principal Damian Scattini says he expects that will make more people join the 5,000 who have already registered for the class action. "I think a lot of people have been waiting, frankly, to have the announcement that the matter is definitely going ahead," he said. Flood victim Kym Kitchener says she has joined because she wants people to be held responsible for the floods.

For more on this story visit: www.weatherzone.com.au

Natural News, By: PF Louis, 12/15/2013

Though this story is based on a Harvard student body decision, as of early 2012, over 90 colleges and universities of varying sizes and types throughout the USA have banned or restricted bottled water sales as demanded from student-led referendums and lobbied directives. The motives are mostly ecological.

But there are also health issues directly related to using those plastic bottles and of course tap water. The offered solution is creating stations on campus that can effectively filter and process out those chemicals where students and faculty may refill glass or metal containers or even reusable plastic containers. Those stations, which purify water with charcoal filtration and reverse osmosis, have become ubiquitous in health food stores and even standard supermarkets.

For more on this story visit: www.naturalnews.com