EPA Declares It Cannot Regulate Traditional Ammo

[quietman]

EPA Declares It Cannot Regulate Traditional Ammo
Virginia Shooting Sports Association

Virginia Shooting Sports Association

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- Last Wednesday, NSSF put out the call to gun owners to contact the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and urge them to reject a petition submitted by the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), asking EPA to ban led fishing sinkers and lead ammunition.

By Friday, things had changed dramatically.

It was no longer just something being talked about in the firearms media – the story had been picked up by the mainstream media including US News and World Report, Investors Business Daily, and The Weekly Standard.

According to sources close to the firearms industry, the EPA had received tens of thousands of emails from gun owners and sportsmen and by Friday afternoon,EPA assistant administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, Steve Owens, announced that EPA was rejecting the petition only two days after opening a comment period saying: “the agency does not have the legal authority to regulate this type of product under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).”

But, according to Jim Shepherd of “The Shooting Wire” an online newsletter, that was not what really had the gun rights community cheering. It was the clause following that explanation: “…nor is the agency seeking such authority.”

For shooters and sportsmen, this decision has at least for now laid to rest the fear that the administration would find a way to move against guns that didn’t employ what has been demonstrably proven to be the political suicide in most of the nation-gun bans.

Friday’s announcement however is only one part of what is a very complex interrelation between individual rights and the outdoors. The same statement being celebrated as a win for the firearms community should also serve as a call to action for anglers to continue to make their voices heard.

“As there are no similar jurisdictional issues relating to the agency’s authority over fishing sinkers,” the statement reads, “EPA-as required by law- will continue formally reviewing a second part of the petition related to lead fishing sinkers.”

If you’re strictly a shooter, Friday’s decision is certainly reason to celebrate. If, however, you also love to fish, you still need to speak out against acceptance of any portion of that petition.

The Environmental Protection Agency will continue to accept public comment on the petition- this time directed specifically to the fishing tackle issue – until September 15. You can find more information that can be included in your comments related to fishing sinkers by clicking here.

 

[RevDerb]

Read it here: http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d0cf6618525a9efb85257359003fb69d/48d939b5009411038525778c00768006!OpenDocument

 

[hso]

While not solely related to firearms and RKBA it is still relevant to discuss the ongoing effort of these groups to get EPA to include an item like sinkers under TSCA.

Understand that EPA is not supposed to include an item (a relevant term under the regulation) under the regulation. Lead is already regulated under the RCRA and waste regs while human exposure in the workplace is regulated under OSHA. Including the specific item of a sinker should not be included, BUT is not specifically exempted under TSCA as taxed cartridges were.

 

[LibShooter]

Whether or not the EPA is right venue... I'm all for a ban on lead sinkers.

A. They have been shown to harm waterfowl.
B. There are plenty of alternatives.
C. There is no Constitutional right to keep and bear fishing tackle.

 

[TriTone]

When lead tackle is used, does the lead spread into the water?

 

[LibShooter]

When lead tackle is used, does the lead spread into the water?

No. (I guess a very little bit might, but no one has found any damage.)

The problem is that ducks and geese and the like swallow the sinkers (and lead shot) mistaking them for the little pebbles they need for their gizzards. While in there the pellets are contunually abraded and release lead into the gut and bloodstream.

 

[hso]

When lead tackle is used, does the lead spread into the water?

It depends upon the acidity of the water. Usually leach rates even in acidic surface water is very very low and not considered to be a significant contributor to wildlife lead exposure. The focus of the studies I've read, as Lib Shooter says, ingested lead pellets, sinkers and heads are the cause of waterfowl lead poisoning most of the time.