[BCNnet] FW: [BCAlist] Help Stop the Lead Poisoning of Threatened Albatrosses onMidway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge

[by way of "Geoffrey A. Williamson" <williamson at iit.edu>]

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From: bcalist-bounces at lists.abcbirds.org 
[mailto:bcalist-bounces at lists.abcbirds.org] On Behalf Of Jennifer Arnold
Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2007 12:15 PM
To: bcalist at lists.abcbirds.org
Subject: [BCAlist] Help Stop the Lead Poisoning of Threatened Albatrosses 
onMidway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge



At the November Bird Conservation Alliance meeting, BCA members were 
alerted to the situation on Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, where 
government buildings are shedding lead-based paint that is being eaten by 
Laysan Albatrosses. Jennifer Arnold, Seabird Program Director for ABC, has 
been working on this issue, but while some progress is being made the 
federal government is being slow to respond. ABC is now initiating a public 
action campaign, through which we are asking the public to e-mail the 
President to demand that funding for clean up of the buildings is 
forthcoming in his 2008 budget. BCA member organizations can help by 
spreading word to their own members.



Midway is home to the world's largest breeding colony of Laysan 
Albatrosses, a species already listed as globally vulnerable to extinction. 
Lead poisoning from the peeling paint is predicted to kill 100,000 of these 
magnificent ocean wanderers in the next ten years unless action is taken soon.



Midway is part of the newly designated Northwest Hawaiian National Marine 
Monument, yet ABC staff have been informed that insufficient funds are 
available to clean up this catastrophe. This situation must be changed now!



The cost for removing the lead paint from the buildings is $5.6 million. It 
is the responsibility of the federal government to clean up the hazard 
posed by their buildings on a wildlife refuge that is now part of a 
national monument.


Please encourage your members to visit 
<http://www.albatrossaction.org/>www.albatrossaction.org to send an 
automatically-generated email to President Bush.



This is just one facet of the campaign to rid Midway of lead paint, but we 
believe a big response will increase the public pressure that we can exert 
through the media on the government.



For more information visit 
<http://www.albatrossaction.org/>www.albatrossaction.org  or contact 
Jennifer Arnold at <mailto:jarnold at abcbird.org>jarnold at abcbird.org.






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