November 23, 2010

NSSF to Intervene in Lawsuit Over Traditional Ammuntion

The National Shooting Sports Foundation will intervene in a lawsuit filed today by the Center for Biological Diversity that challenges the Environmental Protection Agency’s denial of CBD’s petition to ban traditional ammunition containing lead core components. This action allows NSSF, the firearms and ammunition industry’s trade association, to protect industry’s interests in the case and ensure that the will of Congress is adhered to.

In August after considering CBD’s petition, EPA denied the request, saying it did not have the legal authority to regulate the production and distribution of traditional ammunition under the Toxic Substance Control Act of 1976. Congress expressly exempted ammunition from being regulated by this law. Some weeks after the agency’s decision on traditional ammunition, EPA also denied the other half of CBD’s request to ban fishing tackle. This one-two punch no doubt prompted CBD to file its lawsuit.

“We knew that this fight was far from over even after we gained that early victory,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF senior vice president and general counsel. “The CBD petition and now this lawsuit are clearly attacks on the right of hunters to choose the ammunition that best suits their hunting and target shooting needs, and they are attacks on hunting as well.”

Read the NSSF press release.

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