Lawsuit filed in Missoula over toxic metals found in aerial fire retardant
A study by the University of Southern California estimates hundreds of thousands of pounds of toxic metals have been dumped onto forests during aerial fire retardant drops during the past decade, and, according to a new federal lawsuit filed against the U.S. Forest Service, could potentially harm wildlife, specifically endangered and threatened species.
The bright red fire retardant, often seen being dumped from large air tankers, contains cadmium, selenium, chromium, and other metals, according to the lawsuit, which was filed by the Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics on May 7. The organization is a non-profit made up of current and former USFS employees dedicated to protecting the country’s forests and reform within the agency.
“This stuff is astonishingly dirty,” said Andy Stahl, the executive director of the organization. “Why the hell are we using such a dirty retardant?”
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