EPA Urged to Ban Traditional Bullets and Fishing Tackle

Susan Jones,CNSNews.com

Environmental activists are pressing the Obama administration to ban the manufacture,processing and distribution lead shot,bullets,and fishing sinkers under the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976,but hunting and Second Amendment groups say the EPA lacks the authority to do so,for starters.

A petition submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency on Aug. 3 says ammunition and tackle manufacturers are now marketing a wide variety of non-lead,nontoxic bullets,shotgun pellets and fishing tackle,which can and should be used instead of lead projectiles and weights.
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Petition signatories include the Center for Biological Diversity, American Bird Conservancy,Association of Avian Veterinarians,Project Gutpile,and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility.

The environmental activist groups note that the EPA is specifically prohibited from regulating ammunition or firearms under the Toxic Substances Control Act…The petitioners said they have been waiting for nontoxic alternatives to become available “in an effort to clearly indicate that this petition is not an attempt to regulate ammunition or firearms.”

The National Rifle Association’s lobbying arm says the Toxic Substances Control Act “does not grant EPA the authority to regulate ammunition of any composition.”

It rejected the petition’s suggestion that the EPA “should in effect divide shells and cartridges into their constituent parts and find that each separate component of a shell or cartridge falls under its jurisdiction.”