EPA Denies Petition to Ban Lead Fishing Tackle

[Tim Nunan]

Putting this here because we don't have a general "Outdoor activities" forum - Tim

http://www.ussportsmen.org/page.aspx?pid=2567

In a victory for anglers across the country, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has denied a petition that sought to ban lead fishing tackle.

In August, several groups, including the Center for Biological Diversity and the American Bird Conservancy, petitioned the EPA to ban the use of traditional ammunition and lead fishing tackle. They claimed that both products should be regulated under the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976.

Previously, the EPA had announced that it did not have the legal authority under that Act to ban traditional ammunition but noted that it did have the authority to consider a similar ban on fishing gear. On November 4th, the EPA denied the petition to ban lead fishing tackle stating that the petition did not demonstrate that the ban was “necessary to protect against an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment” as required by the Toxic Substances Act.

This latest decision by the EPA was applauded by sportsmen, angling groups, tackle manufacturers, and retailers across the country.

“Banning traditional tackle would drive up costs and keep people off the water,” said Rob Sexton, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance vice president for government affairs. “In turn, that would have meant less money for fishery conservation. As sportsmen know, the lion’s share of that funding comes from the taxes paid by anglers on their equipment.”

According to Gordon Robertson, vice president of the American Sportfishing Association, the decision “represents a solid review of the biological facts, as well as the economic and social impacts that would have resulted from such a sweeping federal action.”

Despite this victory, there are signs that the battle over traditional ammunition and tackle is not over. The Center for Biological Diversity and the American Bird Conservancy have issued a joint press release stating that they have sent a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the EPA. The request sought “all documents related to the agency’s partial denial of the petition.” Often, a FOIA request precedes some form of legal action by the group making the request.