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Sunday, March 5th, 2017

Zinke’s nixing of lead ammo ban may seem trivial, but lead poisoning kills 10 million animals a year

Author:    
Source:     Daily Kos
Publication Date:     Friday Mar 03, 2017 · 10:39 AM PST
 Link: Zinke’s nixing of lead ammo ban may seem trivial, but lead poisoning kills 10 million animals a year
Stephan:   Stuff like this usually flies beneath the radar of the media. It shouldn't but it does, particularly now when every day brings a new litany of evil and stupidity. Millions of animals and birds will die from this ill-begotten decision by the new Trump Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke but to him and his master that hardly matters. What matters to Trump and Zinke is that the NRA and the arms industry it serves are happy. Environmental wellbeing, who cares.

House Republican leadership and Vice President Pence

Six weeks ago, just a day before Donald Trump was sworn into office, the Obama administration ordered a five-year phase-out of the use of lead ammunition and fishing tackle on wildlife reserves and public lands where hunting and fishing are allowed. It was a prohibition long sought by environmental advocates and opposed by hunting and fishing groups, although not by all their members. On Thursday, the day after he was sworn into office as the 52nd secretary of the Department of Interior, Ryan Zinke overturned that phase-out as his first bit of business—an omen of things to come.

Studies estimate that ingested lead from shotgun pellets and bullet fragments hunters leave behind in the environment kill from 10 million to 20 million animals each year. Jonathan Evans, environmental health legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity, one of the environmental organizations strongly behind the ammo phase-out, said:

“Switching to nontoxic ammunition should be a no-brainer to save the lives of thousands birds and other wildlife, prevent hunters and their families from being exposed to […]

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3 Comments

  1. skhovland on Sunday, March 5, 2017 at 6:57 am

    “Will die” How can anyone possibly know that?

    Shotgun shooters have been using steel shot for many years.

    • MjS on Sunday, March 5, 2017 at 6:53 pm

      “Shotgun shooters have been using steel shot for many years”.
      Lead was in paint for decades so…what exactly is your point??

      To expand on this point:
      In 1887 U.S. medical authorities diagnose childhood lead poisoning.
      In 1921 The National Lead Company admits lead is a poison.
      In 1971 Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act passed.
      In 1978 Lead-based house paint banned.

      Do you see the pattern there of Recognition vs Denial vs Action Taken?

      That’s where we are now concerning lead in ammo, and the various types of Deniers who continue to make excuses for it while the sane among us look on in perplexed horror.

      I am an avid hunter and lead in the food that I put on the table for my family is just as disturbing as lead in paint, gasoline, etc. There is enough environmental BS out there to deal as it is, how is this proposal an issue with these people? smh.

  2. fahrusha on Sunday, March 5, 2017 at 9:27 am

    The activities of the #45 administration are heinous at best.