Thank you, Jane!
Here's the letter, from my file. They printed it as one paragraph and added
commas before and after "then" in tbe second sentence.--Tom
============================================================================
==
To the Editor:
It was encouraging to learn that a lab at Iowa State University developed
lead-free solder, now used in billions of electronic devices, to prevent
that toxic metal from contaminating the environment. (Register, May 28.)
It's a sad irony then that Iowa's legislature and our governor allow
hunters to poison our farmland with lead shot.
Thomas Mathews
3908 Kingman Blvd.
Des Moines, Iowa 50311
515-979-9318
============================================================================
==
In a message dated 6/7/2012 2:33:22 P.M. Central Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
A few days ago Tom Matthews, a member of this listserv, had a very good
LTE in the DM Register about lead. I’ll see if I can find it unless Tom
reads this first.
Thanks, Tom!
Jane Clark
From: Iowa Discussion, Alerts and Announcements
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Neila Seaman
Sent: Thursday, June 07, 2012 10:40 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Fw: Lawsuit Challenges EPA Failure to Protect Wildlife from Lead
Poisoning
From: _Jeff Miller_ (mailto:[log in to unmask])
Sent: Thursday, June 07, 2012 10:24 AM
To: _'Jeff Miller'_ (mailto:[log in to unmask])
Subject: Lawsuit Challenges EPA Failure to Protect Wildlife from Lead
Poisoning
For Immediate Release, June 7, 2012
Contact: Dr. John Cornely, The Trumpeter Swan Society, (303)
910-9360
Jeff Miller, Center for Biological Diversity, (415) 669-7357
Louise Shimmel, Cascades Raptor Center, (541) 485-1320
Virginia Poleschook, Loon Lake Loon Association (509) 233-2909
Dick Preston, Tennessee Ornithological Society, (901) 837-3360
Buffalo Bruce, Western Nebraska Resources Council, (308) 432-3458
Lawsuit Challenges EPA’s Failure to Protect Wildlife from Lead Poisoning
Millions of Birds, Other Wildlife, Poisoned Yearly by Lead Ammunition Left
in Wild—Including Eagles, Condors, Swans, Loons
WASHINGTON— Seven conservation groups today filed suit against the
Environmental Protection Agency for refusing to address toxic lead in hunting
ammunition that frequently poisons and kills eagles, swans, loons, endangered
California condors and other wildlife, as well as affecting human health.
Ignoring well-established science on the dangers of lead poisoning from spent
ammunition, the EPA refuses to acknowledge or evaluate risks to wildlife
and human health. The EPA in April denied a petition requesting a public
process to consider regulations for nontoxic hunting ammunition. Today’s
lawsuit challenges that decision.
“The EPA has the ability to immediately end the unintended killing of
eagles, swans, loons, condors and other wildlife,” said Jeff Miller with the
Center for Biological Diversity. “Unfortunately, the agency refuses to
address this needless poisoning. We’ve removed toxic lead from gasoline, paint
and most products exposing humans to lead poisoning; now it’s time to do the
same for hunting ammunition to protect America’s wildlife.”
“Expended lead shot persists in the environment for a long time, and
thousands of trumpeter swans have died recently from ingesting lead shot
deposited by hunters decades ago,” said hunter John Cornely, executive director of
The Trumpeter Swan Society. “Hunters and anglers can provide leadership to
prevent killing of non-target wildlife. Getting the lead out is in line
with traditional conservation and hunting values.”
“Wildlife hospitals across the country see a dramatic rise in
lead-poisoned eagles and other raptors during hunting season each fall,” said Louise
Shimmel, executive director of the Cascades Raptor Center in Oregon. “Lead
poisoning is a major cause of death and injury for wildlife, and is easily
preventable by taking action to prohibit lead shot.”
Millions of nontarget birds and other wildlife are poisoned each year from
scavenging carcasses containing lead-bullet fragments or from ingesting
spent lead-shot pellets. Spent ammunition causes lead poisoning in 130
species of birds and animals and frequently kills bald eagles, trumpeter swans
and endangered California condors, especially condors in Arizona, where lead
is the leading cause of these birds’ deaths. Nearly 500 scientific papers
document the dangers to wildlife from this kind of lead exposure. Lead
ammunition also poses health risks for people eating game contaminated with
lead bullet fragments.
“This action is not about restricting hunting—it’s about ending
preventable lead poisoning of birds and reducing health risks for people eating
lead-shot game,” said Dick Preston, president of the Tennessee Ornithological
Society. “The nonlead hunting regulations in California are a good model for
hunting to continue with nontoxic materials.”
“Lead poisoning of wildlife is a national tragedy,” said Larry Boersma
with Preserve Our Wildlife. “There are safe, effective alternatives to toxic
lead ammo, so there's no reason to continue to condemn untold numbers of
birds and other wildlife to agonizing deaths.”
In March, 100 organizations in 35 states asked the EPA to initiate a
rulemaking under the Toxic Substances Control Act to regulate the toxic
components of ammunition, the lead bullet and shot projectiles that cause lead
poisoning of wildlife. Although the EPA has authority to require nonlead
bullets and shot for hunting and shooting sports, it refused to review the
petition. Today’s lawsuit challenging that decision was filed by The Trumpeter
Swan Society, Cascades Raptor Center (Oregon), Center for Biological
Diversity, Loon Lake Loon Association (Washington), Preserve Our Wildlife
(Florida), Tennessee Ornithological Society and Western Nebraska Resources Council.
There are many alternatives to lead rifle bullets and shotgun pellets.
More than a dozen manufacturers market hundreds of varieties and calibers of
nonlead bullets and shot made of steel, copper and alloys of other metals,
with satisfactory-to-superior ballistics. Hunters in areas with restrictions
on lead ammunition have transitioned to hunting with nontoxic bullets. For
example, there has been no decrease in game tags or hunting activity since
state requirements for nonlead hunting went into effect in significant
portions of Southern California in 2008 to protect condors from lead
poisoning.
The EPA claims it lacks authority to regulate toxic lead in ammunition
under the Toxic Substances Control Act, the federal law designed to limit
exposure to dangerous chemicals, including lead. Yet the law provides specific
authority to regulate lead bullets and shot. Lobbying by the National Rifle
Association resulted in the House of Representatives in April passing the “
Sportsmen’s Heritage Act,” aimed at removing the EPA’s present authority
to regulate toxic lead in ammunition and fishing equipment.
Get more information about the _Get the Lead Out campaign_
(http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/get_the_lead_out/index.html) .
###
Cascades Raptor Center is a nonprofit nature center and wildlife hospital
in Oregon that fosters a connection between people and birds of prey
through wildlife rehabilitation and education. _www.eraptors.org_
(http://www.eraptors.org/)
The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation
organization with more than 350,000 members and online activists dedicated
to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
_www.biologicaldiversity.org_ (http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/)
Loon Lake Loon Association is a nonprofit based in Washington formed to
protect the common loon and other waterfowl in the Pacific Northwest.
_www.loons.org_ (http://www.loons.org/)
Preserve Our Wildlife is a Florida organization dedicated to protection of
wild animal species and conservation of their natural habitats.
Tennessee Ornithological Society is a nonprofit educational and scientific
organization devoted to the study and conservation of birds.
_www.tnbirds.org_ (http://www.tnbirds.org/)
The Trumpeter Swan Society is a nonprofit organization based in
Minnesota, dedicated to assuring the vitality and welfare of wild trumpeter swan
populations. _www.trumpeterswansociety.org_
(http://www.trumpeterswansociety.org/)
Western Nebraska Resources Council is a nonprofit dedicated to preserving
watersheds and native biomes in western Nebraska.
********************************************
Jeff Miller
Conservation Advocate
Center for Biological Diversity
(415) 669-7357
351 California Street, Suite 600
San Francisco, CA 94104
_www.biologicaldiversity.org_ (http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/)
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