The Environmental Protection Agency has recently reauthorized the use
of controversial chemical traps to kill coyotes, dogs, foxes and other
wild animals across the U.S. These "cyanide bombs" are meant to protect
livestock although some environmental groups are calling for a
nationwide ban and saying they are inhumane. According to a recent interim decision,
EPA officials approved the use of M-44 devices, which trap wildlife
with bait before releasing sodium cyanide into their mouths, killing
them. Wildlife Services, the division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture
responsible for wildlife management, is authorized to use the devices,
as are state agencies in South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico and
Texas. Wildlife Services kills large numbers of wild animals every year on behalf of farmers and ranchers. At
the end of 2018, the EPA proposed the renewed use of sodium cyanide,
allowing time for public comment until March. More than 99.9 percent of
comments urged the EPA to ban M-44s, according to an analysis by the Center for Biological Diversity and Western Environmental Law Center. Instead of discontinuing the use of the devices, the EPA has
updated its rules to include some restrictions with the hope of
reducing accidents. For example, the devices cannot be placed within 100
feet of a public road or pathway, increased from 50 feet, and elevated
warning signs must be placed within 15 feet of each device, decreased
from 25 feet. Perhaps most pertinent, people living within a
half-mile of an M-44 placement must be notified. In 2018, a family in
Idaho sued the government for more than $150,000 after a cyanide trap
near their home injured their son and killed their dog the previous year, bringing national attention to the issue...MORE
Friday, August 09, 2019
Trump administration reauthorizes use of "cyanide bombs" to kill wild animals
The Environmental Protection Agency has recently reauthorized the use
of controversial chemical traps to kill coyotes, dogs, foxes and other
wild animals across the U.S. These "cyanide bombs" are meant to protect
livestock although some environmental groups are calling for a
nationwide ban and saying they are inhumane. According to a recent interim decision,
EPA officials approved the use of M-44 devices, which trap wildlife
with bait before releasing sodium cyanide into their mouths, killing
them. Wildlife Services, the division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture
responsible for wildlife management, is authorized to use the devices,
as are state agencies in South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico and
Texas. Wildlife Services kills large numbers of wild animals every year on behalf of farmers and ranchers. At
the end of 2018, the EPA proposed the renewed use of sodium cyanide,
allowing time for public comment until March. More than 99.9 percent of
comments urged the EPA to ban M-44s, according to an analysis by the Center for Biological Diversity and Western Environmental Law Center. Instead of discontinuing the use of the devices, the EPA has
updated its rules to include some restrictions with the hope of
reducing accidents. For example, the devices cannot be placed within 100
feet of a public road or pathway, increased from 50 feet, and elevated
warning signs must be placed within 15 feet of each device, decreased
from 25 feet. Perhaps most pertinent, people living within a
half-mile of an M-44 placement must be notified. In 2018, a family in
Idaho sued the government for more than $150,000 after a cyanide trap
near their home injured their son and killed their dog the previous year, bringing national attention to the issue...MORE
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2 comments:
Um, Frank, what was that you were saying about media bias? Sheesh.
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