OREGON--OUR FORESTS

The Spokesman-Review.com - Group warns USFS over fire retardant
http://www.spokesmanreview.com/news-story.asp?date=050703&ID=s1346823&cat=section.regional


Wednesday, May 7, 2003

Group warns USFS over fire retardant


Grants Pass, Ore. _ An environmental group has warned the U.S. Forest Service that it intends to sue unless the agency comes into compliance with environmental laws covering the use of fire retardant while fighting wildfires.

The Forest Service uses 15 million gallons of fire retardant in an average year fighting wildfires. Most of it is dumped out of air tankers and some retardant falls into creeks and kills threatened and endangered fish, shellfish and crustaceans, said Andy Stahl of Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics, based in Eugene.

The group mailed letters to Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth on Monday giving the 60-day notice required by law before it can sue under the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act.


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