FILE - An aircraft lays down a line of fire retardant between a wildfire and homes in the dry, densely wooded Black Forest area northeast of Colorado Springs, Colo., on June 13, 2013. A federal judge said Friday, May 26, 2023, that chemical retardant dropped on wildfires by the U.S. Forest Service is polluting streams in western states in violation of federal law, but said it can keep being use to fight fires. BILLINGS, Mont. — — A judge ruled Friday that the U.S.
that the Forest Service was disregarding the Clean Water Act by continuing to use retardant without taking adequate precautions to protect streams and rivers, More than 100 million gallons of fire retardant were used during the past decade, according to the Department of Agriculture. It’s made up of water and other ingredients including fertilizers or salts that can be harmful to fish, frogs, crustaceans and other aquatic animals.
Forest Service officials said they are trying to come into compliance with the law by getting a pollution permit but that could take years.
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