WASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency has denied a petition by five environmental groups to ban lead in hunting ammunition, saying the issue is not within the agency’s jurisdiction.
The EPA said Friday it did not have the authority to enact the ban, aimed at protecting wildlife, under the Toxic Substances Control Act, as the groups had requested.
But the agency said it’s still reviewing another part of the petition, to ban lead fishing sinkers.
The EPA informed one of the groups, American Bird Conservancy, of the decision in a letter.
The groups had argued in their petition that millions of animals are dying from eating lead-shot pellets or carcasses contaminated by lead. They said an estimated 10 million to 20 million birds and other animals die each year from lead poisoning in the U.S.
In a petition filed earlier this month, the environmental groups argued that instances of lead poisoning from ammunition and fishing sinkers “present an unreasonable risk of injury” to both human health and the environment.
The petition cited nearly 500 peer-reviewed scientific articles that the environmental groups said document the toxic effects of lead on wildlife.
These studies “conclude that the lead components of bullets, shotgun pellets, fishing weights and lures pose an unreasonable risk of injury to human and wildlife health and the environment,” the Aug. 3 petition argued.
The EPA was required to respond to the petition within 90 days.
“EPA is taking action on many fronts to address major sources of lead in our society such as eliminating childhood exposure to lead,” Steve Owens, the agency’s assistant administrator for chemical safety and pollution prevention said in a statement.
But he said the agency “was not and is not considering taking action on whether the lead content in hunting ammunition poses an undue threat to wildlife.”
The environmentalists were sharply critical of the EPA decision, arguing the agency has the authority to act and that there is a wide range of non-lead ammunition available.
“The EPA had ample evidence that lead bullets and shot have a devastating effect on America’s wildlife, yet has refused to do anything about it,” said Darin Schroeder, vice president for conservation advocacy at the American Bird Conservancy, one of the petitioners. “It‘s disappointing to see this country’s top environmental agency simply walk away from the preventable poisoning of birds and other wildlife.”
Also signing the petition were the Association of Avian Veterinarians, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility and Project Gutpile.
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Online:
http://www.epa.gov
http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/
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basskids
Posted on September 16, 2010 at 12:14pm10 million to 20 million? Uh, that’s a pretty wide gap and a wide range of error. If there’s a 10 million count leeway, maybe none are being harmed by the stuff. I’ll go with my own aviary fecal study. Judging from the amount of bird poop on my car every morning, I believe the birds are doing just fine
Report Post »Joe Potus
Posted on September 14, 2010 at 9:54pm“an estimated 10 million to 20 million birds and other animals die each year from lead poisoning in the U.S” …yeah, by hunters who then proceed to eat them. MM MMM dis sho am good.
Report Post »extexjb
Posted on September 13, 2010 at 11:05pmToxic substance CONTROL act……yup the key word is definately CONTROL….this could very well be their ‘plan’ to initiate control of our right to bear arms!!
Report Post »krenshau
Posted on September 11, 2010 at 4:30pmI didn’t vote for Obama, but after the patriot act and TARP I was glad to see Bush go. Now, I wish he was back if for no other reason than at least he was just attacking muslim extremist and not U.S. citizens.
Report Post »Tiffinator
Posted on September 9, 2010 at 11:00amPeer Reviewed?! That’s the same garbage they use to support the global warming hoax. I can get about 500 of MY peers to write papers that say chocolate glazed donuts are good for your health. My study would hold just as much water as theirs. My sister is in research science, and lets me know how often their “scientific procedures” are fudged to get to the end goal (which is usually more grant money!)
Report Post »lastmanstandin
Posted on September 3, 2010 at 9:47amSomeone needs to remind these idiots that hunting ammunition is suppose to cause undo harm and death to animals. PETA = People Eat Tasty Animals
Report Post »plunderpower
Posted on September 3, 2010 at 2:25amDid you know that Gabrielle Giffords D-AZ told GEN Petraeus to reduce carbon emissions by clubbing and stabbing the enemy instead of firing bullets because clubbing and stabbing was better for the environment and didn’t leave carbon footprints? She also told him he should be filing environ-mental impact statements with every operation. GEN Petraeus should have told her the Army is into recycling and compost by letting enemy dead bodies rot naturally. Call it a carbon offset. Unprofitable for Al Gore, but an offset just the same. Green too.
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