Scares about government gun bans are often just that — mere scares.
But a recent petition made to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has the potential to become much more than a scare. It wouldn’t do away with guns, but it’d do away with a lot of ammunition.
Environmental advocacy groups have petitioned EPA chief Lisa Jackson to ban the use of lead bullets, lead shot and lead fishing sinkers on the grounds that the continued use of lead violates the 1976 Toxic Substance Control Act.
The petition (available for review in PDF format at the EPA website) argues that lead shot and lead bullet fragments routinely poison scavengers, songbirds, predatory birds, waterfowl and some mammals. It cites valid scientific studies and makes a pretty fair case for the EPA to mandate non-toxic ammunition.
But to grant the petition and enact a lead ban, the EPA would literally have to ignore the very law the petitioners cite as the rationale for the ban. When Congress passed the Toxic Substance Control Act back in 1976, they specifically exempted lead ammunition.
No problem, say the petitioners. They argue, in essence, that the law refers to cartridges and shells, and not specifically to bullets or shot. They further argue that since bullets and shot are sold individually as ammunition components, they therefore fall under the Toxic Substance Control Act and can be banned by EPA regulation.
It is a sign of the times, I suppose, when perfectly clear legal language can be parsed into something completely contradictory to its original intent.
The EPA has until Nov. 1 to rule on the petition.
Update: Late today, with more than two months left in the petition’s comment period, EPA officials abruptly and unexpectedly rejected the petition. Story is here, from U.S. News and World Report.
Subscribe to Woods and Waters
this is just way for the progressives to take away our 2nd amendment without really doing it. think about it.
well, sounds to me like it wont be long until theres an all out revolutionary ground war right here in the USA.
let me ask you, how long do you think that law abiding citizens are going to put up with this bullsh*t
seems to me, if the EPA is going to consider something like that, maybe the sportsmen should al get together and start our own petitions, and make them clean up all of the toxic contaminated waters thruout the USA. there are hundreds of lakes (clearlake in california as an example) that are contaminated with heavy metals ( such as mercury, arsnic,cyanide,ect) to the point there are literally posted restrictions on how much fish you can eat out of them. anymore than the posted limits can lead to heavy metal poisoning in not only animals but human beings, so if they are pondering banning lead because of potential health problems to wildlife, maybe we should force them to shut down these lakes and start an extensive clean up before people get poisoned.
Liberals, Democrates and Islamic terrorist would love it when only the cops and govt. owned gestapo are the only ones that have weapons, then they can tread on all without fear. Think we could respond by passing laws that state if it is against the Constitution and they even talk about it we can tar, feather them and confiscate all their assests, savings and retirement pensions? 2nd offence should be bannishment from USA or death within 7 days by armed Americans selected from volunteers. I volunteer!
[...] John McCoy: “EPA ponders ban on lead ammunition; Update: EPA abruptly rejects lead-ban petition.” [...]
[...] EPA ponders ban on lead ammunition; Update: EPA abruptly rejects lead-ban petition « Woods and Wate… [...]
Here are some facts: almost 500 scientific studies have been done that document massive wildllife poisoning from lead — most of them peer reviewed. That means that the studies are scientifically valid, using proper methodologies and techniques. The gun lobby does not deny these poisonings are happening, they just say that species aren’t in danger of going extinct from the poisoning. Shouldn’t the bar for action be higher than “Is a species being so poisoned that it is in danger of going extinct.” Do a search on lead poisoning of Bald Eagles. If you look at the videos, you’ll see the tails turn green as vital organs shut down, and then the bird just lays down dead from lead poisoning. … a national disgrace.