[BCNnet] No Sightings - A Good News Press Release

Mon, 5 Aug 2002 12:43:31 -0500

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Hi BCNnet friends;

The pesticide that’s the number one killer of birds is probably Carbofuran.
I think all birders and conservationists will be very pleased about the
following.

Donald R. Dann
Highland Park/Lake County

For Immediate Release
July 29, 2002
Dateline: Washington, D.C.
Conservation Groups Prevent Use of Eagle-killing Pesticide
EPA Reverses Decision to Allow Granular Carbofuran on Louisiana Rice
An important victory for birds and other wildlife was won today by a
coalition of conservation groups, brought together by American Bird
Conservancy (ABC), and including Defenders of Wildlife, Humane Society of
the United States, National Audubon Society, Natural Resources Defense
Council, Rachel Carson Council, Sierra Club, and World Wildlife Fund, plus
several Louisiana-based groups. Action from these groups has prompted the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to revoke the authorization it had
previously granted allowing use of the deadly pesticide carbofuran to
control rice water weevil in Louisiana, preventing the deaths of possibly
thousands of birds.
Carbofuran is among the most highly toxic pesticides known to birds. A
single granule is lethal, and more than fifty species, including Bald and
Golden Eagle, Eastern Bluebird, Great Horned Owl, Red-tailed Hawk, Kestrel,
Northern Pintail, and Blue-winged Teal, have been documented as having died
from carbofuran poisoning. The granular formulation of the pesticide was the
most lethal to birds and was phased out from legal use beginning in 1991.
EPA estimated that prior to cancellation of the granular formulation, up to
two million birds were killed each year by carbofuran. In fact, no other
substance listed under the EPA’s Ecological Incident Investigation System
has killed more birds, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has
stated that "There are no known conditions under which carbofuran can be
used without killing migratory birds."
Environmentalists were alarmed when they became aware that EPA was
considering a "Section 18 - Emergency Use" application for the granular form
of the pesticide on up to 100,000 acres of rice crops in Louisiana, and were
outraged when EPA issued a permit allowing 10,000 acres to be dosed with the
toxic substance without alerting FWS, the public, or conservation groups.
Conservation groups quickly mobilized, and together they convinced EPA to
reduce the permit from 10,000 acres to 2,500 acres, and open a public
comment period before any further use was considered.
More than 6,000 public comments subsequently resulted including a letter
signed by 55 conservation groups. EPA officials were impressed by the
response and in a letter to the groups cited "compelling feedback from the
public" as one of the primary reasons the Louisiana permit was revoked.
"This is a very important victory for birds and other wildlife," said Patti
Bright, Director of ABC’s Pesticides and Birds Campaign. "We are delighted
that EPA has made the right decision for the environment, based on the
irrefutable scientific evidence that granular carbofuran is lethal and
should not be allowed."
Jennifer Sass, a senior scientist with the Natural Resources Defense
Council, said, "EPA was caught with its hand in the "Emergency Exemption"
jar again, without an emergency, and without justification for an
exemption". And Caroline Kennedy special projects director for Defenders of
Wildlife said "We are very pleased that the EPA today recognized what it has
known since 1989: granular carbofuran is so toxic to birds that it should
not ever be used. Today's decision to revoke authorization of carbofuran use
on thousands of acres of Louisiana rice fields is a victory for birds and
other wildlife."
For more information contact:
Patti Bright, (540) 235-5780, pbright@abcbirds.org
<mailto:pbright@abcbirds.org> or Gavin Shire, (202) 452-1535,
gshire@abcbirds.org <mailto:gshire@abcbirds.org>

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<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle19><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"'><span
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'>Hi BCNnet =
friends;<o:p></o:p></span></span></font></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle19><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:13.5pt;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle19><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"'><span
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'>The pesticide that&#8217;s the =
number one killer of
birds is probably Carbofuran.<span style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; =
</span>I
think all birders and conservationists will be very pleased about the
following.<o:p></o:p></span></span></font></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle19><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:13.5pt;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

Donald R. =
Dann<o:p></o:p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle19><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"'><span
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'>Highland Park/Lake County<span
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; =
</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></font></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle19><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:13.5pt;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

<p><font size=3D3 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;
color:black'>For Immediate Release<br>
July 29, 2002<br>
Dateline: Washington, D.C.</span></font><font color=3Dblack><span
style=3D'color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font><=
/p>

<p align=3Dcenter style=3D'text-align:center'><u><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Conservation
Groups Prevent Use of Eagle-killing Pesticide</span></font></u><font
color=3Dblack><span style=3D'color:black'> <br>
EPA Reverses Decision to Allow Granular Carbofuran on Louisiana =
Rice</span></font><font
color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font><=
/p>

An important victory for birds and other wildlife was won =
today by
a coalition of conservation groups, brought together by American Bird
Conservancy (ABC), and including Defenders of Wildlife, Humane Society =
of the
United States, National Audubon Society, Natural Resources Defense =
Council,
Rachel Carson Council, Sierra Club, and World Wildlife Fund, plus =
several
Louisiana-based groups. Action from these groups has prompted the =
Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) to revoke the authorization it had previously =
granted
allowing use of the deadly pesticide carbofuran to control rice water =
weevil in
Louisiana, preventing the deaths of possibly thousands of =
birds.<o:p></o:p><=
/p>

Carbofuran is among the most highly toxic pesticides known =
to
birds. A single granule is lethal, and more than fifty species, =
including Bald
and Golden Eagle, Eastern Bluebird, Great Horned Owl, Red-tailed Hawk, =
Kestrel,
Northern Pintail, and Blue-winged Teal, have been documented as having =
died
from carbofuran poisoning. The granular formulation of the pesticide was =
the
most lethal to birds and was phased out from legal use beginning in =
1991. EPA
estimated that prior to cancellation of the granular formulation, up to =
two
million birds were killed each year by carbofuran. In fact, no other =
substance
listed under the EPA&#8217;s Ecological Incident Investigation System =
has killed more
birds, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has stated that =
&quot;There
are no known conditions under which carbofuran can be used without =
killing migratory
birds.&quot;<o:p></o:p>

<p><font size=3D3 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;
color:black'>Environmentalists were alarmed when they became aware that =
EPA was
considering a &quot;Section 18 - Emergency Use&quot; application for the
granular form of the pesticide on up to 100,000 acres of rice crops in
Louisiana, and were outraged when EPA issued a permit allowing 10,000 =
acres to
be dosed with the toxic substance without alerting FWS, the public, or
conservation groups.</span></font><font color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'color:black;
mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p><font size=3D3 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;
color:black'>Conservation groups quickly mobilized, and together they =
convinced
EPA to reduce the permit from 10,000 acres to 2,500 acres, and open a =
public
comment period before any further use was considered.</span></font><font
color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font><=
/p>

More than 6,000 public comments subsequently resulted =
including a
letter signed by 55 conservation groups. EPA officials were impressed by =
the
response and in a letter to the groups cited &quot;compelling feedback =
from the
public&quot; as one of the primary reasons the Louisiana permit was =
revoked.<o:p></o:p><=
/p>

&quot;This is a very important victory for birds and other
wildlife,&quot; said Patti Bright, Director of ABC&#8217;s Pesticides =
and Birds
Campaign. &quot;We are delighted that EPA has made the right decision =
for the
environment, based on the irrefutable scientific evidence that granular
carbofuran is lethal and should not be allowed.&quot;<o:p></o:p><=
/p>

Jennifer Sass, a senior scientist with the Natural =
Resources
Defense Council, said, &quot;EPA was caught with its hand in the
&quot;Emergency Exemption&quot; jar again, without an emergency, and =
without
justification for an exemption&quot;. And Caroline Kennedy special =
projects
director for Defenders of Wildlife said &quot;We are very pleased that =
the EPA
today recognized what it has known since 1989: granular carbofuran is so =
toxic
to birds that it should not ever be used. Today's decision to revoke
authorization of carbofuran use on thousands of acres of Louisiana rice =
fields
is a victory for birds and other wildlife.&quot;<o:p></o:p><=
/p>

<p><font size=3D3 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;
color:black'>For more information contact:</span></font><font =
color=3Dblack><span
style=3D'color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font><=
/p>

<p><font size=3D3 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;
color:black'>Patti Bright, (540) 235-5780, <a =
href=3D"mailto:pbright@abcbirds.org">pbright@abcbirds.org</a>
or Gavin Shire, (202) 452-1535, <a =
href=3D"mailto:gshire@abcbirds.org">gshire@abcbirds.org</a></span></font>=
<font
color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font><=
/p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D4 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times New =
Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;color:black'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]></span></font><font
color=3Dblack><span =
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