Yesterday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) took the unexpected step of rejecting a petition for a ban on lead-based ammunition that had been submitted by the Tucson based Center for Biological Diversity (CBD). In rejecting the petition, Steve Owens, EPA assistant administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention claimed that the agency did not have jurisdiction to consider the issue under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
The swift rejection of the petition that had literally just been posted for public comment came as a surprise to organizations on both sides of the issue. The EPA had planned to accept public comment for a 60 day period and make a decision regarding the petition on November 1st.
The issue gained national attention in recent days with prominent postings on the Drudge Report and the Weekly Standard. Some speculate that the combination of strong objections from the NRA, several members of Congress, including Congressman Doc Hastings, the ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee and powerful industry groups like the National Shooting Sports Foundation caused the EPA to reconsider the petition.
Others speculated that any apparent attempt at a 'back door' ban on ammunition or increase in controls on hunting and firearms would have a devastating political effect on Democrats in the upcoming mid-term elections and that the rejection was more about election year politics than the EPA not wishing to consider the issue.
The decision is a huge win for the National Rifle Association, National Shooting Sports Foundation and other gun rights groups.
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Here are some facts: almost 500 scientific studies have been done that document massive wildllife poisoning from lead — most of them peer reviewed. That means that the studies are scientifically valid, using proper methodologies and techniques. The gun lobby does not deny these poisonings are happening, they just say that species aren’t in danger of going extinct from the poisoning. Shouldn’t the bar for action be higher than “Is a species being so poisoned that it is in danger of going extinct.” Contact your local raptor rehab center to see for yourself the lead poisonings they treat. Or, do a search on lead poisoning of Bald Eagles. If you look at the videos, you’ll see the tails turn green as vital organs shut down, and then the bird just lays down dead from lead poisoning. The lead poisoning of our national symbol is a national disgrace.
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