|
AR-NEWS Digest 543
Topics covered in this issue include:
1) RFI Myxomatosis in Canadian Squirrels?
by bunny
2) Fwd>Information on Hantavirus/Sin Nombre virus/rodents/humans
by bunny
3) King of Spain=Hunter
by "sa338@blues.uab.es"
4) (US) State Proposal Would Regulate Jockeys Using Whips on
Their Horses
by allen schubert
5) Support Dawn Ratcliffe
by "Kim Chicchi"
6) USA - Macy's Campaign
by "veegman@qed.net"
7) MAKAH/URGENT ALERT
by BreachEnv@aol.com
8) Hog Farms Beat New Rules With Early Permit Applications
by Snugglezzz@aol.com
9) VCR Alert: NBC Nightly News (Saturday) Hog Farms
by "A. Hogan"
10) (Australia) Urgent -NPI Legislation
by bunny
11) More Indonesia-US monkey shipments
by Shirley McGreal
Date: Sat, 11 Oct 1997 13:36:08 +0800
From: bunny
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: RFI Myxomatosis in Canadian Squirrels?
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19971011131638.2ac753ac@wantree.com.au>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Dear All,
I wrote to the Canadian Wildlife Service about the report of Myxomatosis in
squirrels.
To me, it would be an important issue if it truly was Myxomatosis infecting
squirrels
and not a similar virus, because one of the major precedents for using
RHD/RCD as
a biological control agent was the
so-called past host specificity of Myxomatosis.(This is really a fallacy because
Myxo jumped from being benign in rabbits of the Americas to being deadly in
the European Rabbit,
thus at least 2 species that we know of are infected by Myxomatosis).
Would someone please obtain the Fax number of the Ottawa-Carleton Wildlife
Centre for me?
Any help in obtaining the fax number or in making an inquiry
as to whether Myxo has infected squirrels for me (and which species of
squirrel and location
or name of any report containing this information would be very helpful).
Kind regards, Marguerite
(Western Australia)
rabbit@wantree.com.au
(All info is below so you can follow my progress to date with this).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------
For information concerning this add, you will have to contact the
Ottawa-Carleton Wildlife Centre at the following number (613) 726-6965.
Sylvie Sincennes
Environment Canada
Canadian Wildlife Service
Place Vincent Massey
(819) 953-1412
sylvie.sincennes@ec.gc.ca
Don't take life too seriously
It's only a temporary situation
--Sylvie Sincennes
______
Ne prennai pas la vie trop au sérieux
Après tout, ce n'est qu'une situation temporaire
--Sylvie Sincennes
>----------
>From: bunny[SMTP:rabbit@wantree.com.au]
>Sent: Saturday, October 04, 1997 1:48 AM
>To: Sincennes,Sylvie [NCR]
>Subject: Squirrels
>
>Hi,
>
>Please would you help me with some information on squirrels.
>Recently, this item (see below) was posted to a mailing list I follow.
>Can you please confirm if Myxomatosis has ocurred in squirrels in Canada?
>I would be very interested to know of this because I study rabbits and
>Myxomatosis already occurs in rabbits of the Americas (non-fatal) and
>in the European rabbit (fatal). If Myxomatosis now infects squirrels,
>that would be another host species again. Any help in locating the source of
>the report below, especially scientific reports would be very much
>appreciated.
>
>Kind regards,
>
>Marguerite Wegner
>
>MYXOMATOSIS, SQUIRRELS - CANADA
>*******************************
>
>Date: Fri, 26 Sep 1997
>Source: The Ottawa Citizen, 24 Sep 1997
>
>
>Canadian squirrels are once again being attacked by a viral disease --
>myxomatosis, which first appeared in the country in the 1950s. Symptoms
>include lesions on the body and around mouth and eyes of the animal, which
>also loses fur and emits a strong odor. The virus is not a known threat to
>humans or to other animals. Surviving squirrels are left with immunity.
>People who find squirrels with the symptoms are urged to take them to local
>animal shelters for euthanasia, in order to prevent further spread of the
>disease.
>
>===========================================
MYXOMATOSIS, SQUIRRELS - CANADA (02): FIBROMATOSIS?
***************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
[see:
Myxomatosis, squirrels - Canada 970927120929]
Date: Mon, 29 Sep 1997 09:08:23 +1000 (EST)
From: Tony Robinson
Subject: Re: PRO/AH/EDR> Myxomatosis, squirrels - Canada
I suspect the disease being described is a fibromatosis due to squirrel
fibroma virus rather than a myxomatosis due to myxoma virus. Has there been
confirmation by virus isolation and characterisation? We would be very
interested if it does turn out to be myxomatosis due to myxoma virus.
Woodchucks (_Marmota monax_) are susceptible to squirrel fibroma virus and
domestic rabbits (_Oryctolagus cuniculus_) can be infected experimentally,
although the lesions induced in the latter experiments were minor. As
squirrel fibroma virus can be transmitted by mosquitoes and is suspected to
be transmitted by the squirrel flea, this could be a means of transmission
to other squirrels, woodchucks, and possibly rabbits in animal shelters or
other refuges. If affected animals are held in captivity, suitable
precautions should be taken such as de-fleaing affected animals and housing
them in mosquito-proof enclosures.
---
Tony Robinson & Peter Kerr
CSIRO Division of Wildlife and Ecology
Canberra, Australia
CSIRO Division of Wildlife and Ecology
PO Box 84
Lyneham, ACT 2602
Tony Robinson
Phone +61 (06) 242 1676
Fax +61 (06) 242 9874
...................................................pc/jw
>
===========================================
Rabbit Information Service,
P.O.Box 30,
Riverton,
Western Australia 6148
Email> rabbit@wantree.com.au
http://www.wantree.com.au/~rabbit/rabbit.htm
(Rabbit Information Service website updated frequently)
/`\ /`\
(/\ \-/ /\)
)6 6(
>{= Y =}<
/'-^-'\
(_) (_)
| . |
| |}
jgs \_/^\_/
Date: Sat, 11 Oct 1997 13:42:40 +0800
From: bunny
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Fwd>Information on Hantavirus/Sin Nombre virus/rodents/humans
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19971011132310.2ac76812@wantree.com.au>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
HANTAVIRUS ECOLOGY
******************
Date: Fri, 10 Oct 1997 15:21:37 -0600
A few comments about hantavirus ecology:
1. Hantaviruses can and do infect hosts other than the primary reservoir
hosts, even in nature. Sin Nombre virus (SNV) infection for example, has
been found in hosts that differ from _Peromyscus maniculatus_ at the
specific (_P. boylii_, _P. truei_, etc.), generic (_Reithrodontomys_),
subfamilial (_Mus musculus_), and familial (_Tamias_ spp.) level. In
addition, primates (humans) are most certainly infect-able!
2. While the infectiousness of hantaviruses for a variety of mammalian
hosts is evident, it appears to be most uncommon -though perhaps not
impossible, see (3) below- for hantaviruses to adapt permanently to new
hosts, or to pass readily among mammals other than their primary reservoir
hosts. Thus, there is no evidence that _Rattus_ can serve as a host for
SNV, for example, with natural passage of SNV among rats.
3. Many papers (including some from my lab) have suggested that the
observed close correspondence between host-rodent and viral phylogenies
indicate that individual hantaviruses have achieved a long-term adaptation
to individual rodent species. This notion may require some revisions,
since exceptions are gradually piling up. For example, the close
relationships between _Sigmodon hispidus_-borne hantaviruses and the
_Oryzomys_-borne Bayou virus are not predictable from rodent phylogenetics,
nor is the close relationship between the _Calomys_-borne Laguna Negra
virus and the oryzomine Rio Mamore and Andes viruses.
The new findings may indicate that host-switching can occur with
hantaviruses, even if such events are not observed in real time. By and
large, however, it would seem that once a hantavirus has achieved a stable
ecological niche in a particular host, it is very uncommon for it to switch
to other hosts.
4. Infected animals (and humans) most certainly make neutralizing
antibodies to hantaviruses. The ability of viruses to persist in reservoir
hosts in the face of neutralizing antibodies is fascinating. A whole range
of immune escape mechanisms are being uncovered for other virus families
(herpesviruses and poxviruses, for example, provide some fascinating
models) and some interesting ideas are under investigation for the
Bunyaviridae as well.
5. Segment reassortment is a source of much confusion. So far, proven
natural reassortment events in the hantaviruses have been restricted to
different genotypes of a single viral species (SNV). The proteins encoded
by the swapped segments are virtually identical, so opportunities to
generate something really new by this mechanism appear to be very limited
indeed. The lack of reassortment between hantavirus species is compatible
with previous studies of other members of the family Bunyaviridae. It
would appear that a particular genomic segment of virus 'A' is not happy
with a different segment from virus 'B', at least in nature.
I hope all of the above clarifies more than it obscures!
---
Brian Hjelle, M.D.
Depts. Of Pathology, Microbiology, and Biology
University of New Mexico
===========================================
Rabbit Information Service,
P.O.Box 30,
Riverton,
Western Australia 6148
Email> rabbit@wantree.com.au
http://www.wantree.com.au/~rabbit/rabbit.htm
(Rabbit Information Service website updated frequently)
/`\ /`\
(/\ \-/ /\)
)6 6(
>{= Y =}<
/'-^-'\
(_) (_)
| . |
| |}
jgs \_/^\_/
Date: Sat, 11 Oct 1997 13:50:04 +0100
From: "sa338@blues.uab.es"
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: King of Spain=Hunter
Message-ID: <343F75FC.2BB6@blues.uab.es>
MIME-version: 1.0
Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-transfer-encoding: 8bit
-- This is Nuria from Barcelona.
Juan Carlos I King of Spain has recently taken part in a hunting act.
The victims were specially wildboards. Juan Carlos also enjoys
bullkilling, in fact while Princess Lady Diana was being buried He was
watching a bull agonize. Thanks for your concern,
Nuria
Nuria 's Homepage (of animal rights and scientific anti-vivisectionism)
http://www.geocities.com/heartland/hills/3787
******************************************************************************
*
"Llegara un dia en que los hombres,como yo , vean el asesinato de un
animal como ahora ven el de un hombre"
"A day will come in which men, as I do, will look upon animal murder the
same way they look today upon a man's murder"
Leonardo da Vinci
PO`!1 a
Date: Sat, 11 Oct 1997 08:45:29 -0400
From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) State Proposal Would Regulate Jockeys Using Whips on
Their Horses
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19971011084525.006977b4@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
from CNN web page:
---------------------------------
State Proposal Would Regulate Jockeys Using Whips on Their Horses
AP
11-OCT-97
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) Jockeys in New York state will have to watch how and when
they whip their horses, under a new rule proposed by the state Racing and
Wagering Board.
New York and California are the only states that have rules governing whips
in racing, but
industry watchers believe other states will quickly follow in an effort to
protect both the horses and the racing industry.
"It's going to become common," said Scott Savin, executive director of the
National Horseman's Benevolent and Protective Association in Aventure, Fla.
"There's an obvious concern through the entire industry about the
perception of the use of whipping by jockeys."
Under the proposal, a jockey would only be able to whip a horse on its
shoulders or hind quarters, and only during a race in which the horse is
responsive and has a chance to win. Whipping before or after a race, unless
trying to guide or control the horse, would be prohibited, as would using
the whip to raise welts or break the hide.
An announcement will be made before each race of which jockeys are not
carrying whips, the board stated.
Violators of the new rules would be punished at the discretion of track
stewards, who can fine riders up to $5,000 or suspend them for up to 60
days for rules violation.
Holly Cheever, a veterinarian in suburban Albany who works with police in
animal abuse investigations, said excessive whipping is an unnecessary evil
in horse racing.
"The problem with the whole industry is that it doesn't have to be cruel,
because you are doing something that a horse loves to do," she said. "They
are a naturally very athletic and competitive species. If you turn them
loose in a field, they will race each other for the sheer joy of it."
Though Cheever said whipping is far too common, she said it might make some
horses run faster.
"A sudden crack might produce an extra jolt of adrenaline," she said. "It
might make a difference in a close neck-and-neck outcome. But in the kind
of situation where a horse is clearly out of a race or absolutely spent,
there is nothing more that whipping can accomplish. It is just an exercise
in the jockey's frustration and aggression against the animal."
According to John Giovanni, national manager of the Jockey's Guild in
Lexington, Ky., most jockeys voluntarily follow whipping standards.
"We certainly don't condone the abuse of any animal," Giovanni said. "But
there are times, when the life of the horse or the jockey is at stake, when
hard use of the whip becomes necessary."
Gary Stevens was suspended for two days earlier this year for excessive
whipping in the Royal Ascot race in England, and Corey Nakatani was
suspended for five days in 1996 in California for whipping his horse after
a race.
Giovanni and Savin denied that jockeys are callous, but said it is that
perception that makes the new standards necessary.
"We have to be ultimately concerned by how we're received by the race fan
and, more importantly, the potential race fan," Savin said.
The proposed regulations also limit the weight of jockeys' whips to a half
pound and the length to 31 inches.
Acceptable uses of whips, according to the regulations, are showing the
horse the whip before a jockey hits them, using the whip in rhythm with the
horse's stride and using the whip to keep a horse running straight.
The regulations will become final if no valid objections or alterations are
raised during a 45-day public comment period.
Date: Sat, 11 Oct 1997 06:38:25 PDT
From: "Kim Chicchi"
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Support Dawn Ratcliffe
Message-ID: <19971011133825.20957.qmail@hotmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain
PLEASE! call the following # to inquire about the status of Dawn
Ratcliffe. Also, tell them to not institutionalize Dawn. She's not the
one who's crazy! If they need to institutionalize anyone it's the
murdering scum who bite the heads off of innocent pigeons.
Also, if you want an easy way to write to Dawn you can send email
messages to her at the following address & I will print them out & send
them to her.
The email address is:
dawnratcliffe@hotmail.com
Please pass the message along to others!!!!!!!
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
Date: Sat, 11 Oct 1997 10:30:54
From: "veegman@qed.net"
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: USA - Macy's Campaign
Message-ID: <3.0.2.16.19971011103054.0967bd3c@qed.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
New Jersey Animal Rights Alliance
PO Box 174
Englishtown, NJ 07726
(732) 446-6808
The New Jersey Animal Rights Alliance (NJARA) is sponsoring an ongoing
campaign to get fur out of Macy's permanently. For these actions to be
effective we need your help.
If you have a Macy's credit card please do the following:
1). Call Macy's and cancel your account. Tell them that you will no
longer shop in a store that promotes the gassing, anal electrocution,
trapping, and neck breaking of innocent animals for their fur.
2). Cut your Macy's charge card in half.
3). Write a letter to Harold Kahn, Chairman of Macy's East telling him
that you are a former customer of Macy's. Demand that he immediately close
down all of Macy's fur departments.
4). Call Macy's East and tell them that you will no longer shop in their
stores. Demand that they get out of the fur trade.
Credit Inquiries: 800-972-4243
Customer Service: 800-526-1202
5). Send your cut up credit card and your letter to:
NJARA
PO Box 174
Englishtown, NJ 07726
We will be putting the cut up cards to good use by returning them to him in
a very creative way. One that shows the public outrage over Macy's
continued disregard for their clientele and their continued sale of fur.
If you have a fur coat please donate it to NJARA. Your donations are fully
tax deductible and a receipt will be sent upon request. If you know
someone who has a fur coat, please encourage them to donate it to NJARA
also. These coats are turned into educational tools.
Recent history of Macy's and Federated's involvement in the fur trade:
Macy's is one of a group of department stores owned and operated under
their parent company Federated Department Stores. Federated also owns
Lazarus, Bloomingdale's, Rich's, Aeropastale, Burdine's, and Goldsimth's.
Each of these stores has been a target of anti-fur demonstrations in recent
years.
In January 1997, Macy's East (operating the Macy's stores in the Eastern
US) was faced with a decision. The contract with their fur supplier had
run out and they were feeling pressure from the fur industry to keep their
hands in the bloody fur trade. At this time Harold Kahn, the Chairman of
Macy's East was deluged with letters and phone calls telling him that the
public did not support using dead animal furs for clothing. In a cowardly
move, Kahn signed a contract with the Canadian furrier Berger Christianson
to take over the daily operations of their existing fur departments.
Promptly, Berger Christianson announced that they would be opening 18 new
fur departments in Macy's East stores.
At this same time, under pressure from constant animal rights protests,
acts of civil disobedience, and raids by the Animal Liberation Front
against fur ranches, Macy's West closed down its last remaining fur
departments.
While Macy's West has apparently come to their senses, Macy's East is
thumbing their nose at the public. NJARA and the entire animal rights
community wants to put Macy's East out of the fur business forever. With
your help this is possible.
**************************************************
Look at the *NEW* NJARA web page!!
http://www.envirolink.org/orgs/njara/
No one can do everything but everyone
can do something. ACTIVISM WORKS!!!
**************************************************
Date: Sat, 11 Oct 1997 10:55:20 -0400 (EDT)
From: BreachEnv@aol.com
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: MAKAH/URGENT ALERT
Message-ID: <971011105520_1309513260@emout20.mail.aol.com>
URGENT URGENT URGENT URGENT URGENT
A L E R T
Letters Needed to National Marine Fisheries Service
to Condemn NEPA Process on Makah Proposal to Kill
Gray Whales
Australians for Animals (AFA) and Breach Marine
Protection (BMP) recently sent the enclosed letter to
the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) raising
serious concerns about its ongoing review of the Makah
whaling proposal under the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA).
Not only has the NMFS failed to issue a decision
notice on the Draft Environmental Assessment prepared
on this proposal, but it now appears that the NMFS may
not do so until after the International Whaling
Commission (IWC) meeting. Considering that NMFS
engaged in an expedited NEPA analysis of this issue,
presumably in order to consider comments and make a
decision prior to the IWC meeting,issuing the decision
notice afterwards is preposterous.
Each of you who spent time and effort in preparing
comments on the DEA should be concerned about the
failure of NMFS to comply with the NEPA process.
Please let NMFS know of your concern and disappointment
by faxing and sending a letter to Dr. James Baker
immediately. Tell him that NMFS must issue a finding prior to IWC, that
attempts to disregard the input of the US and international conservation
movement are an insult to the democratic and legal process, an action which
is completely unacceptable.
Please fax and send your letter to:
Dr. James Baker, Administrator
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Herbert C. Hoover Building
Room 5128
14th and Constitution Avenue., NW
Washington, DC 20230
Telefax: (202) 408-9674
October 9, 1997
BY TELEFAX AND CERTIFIED MAIL
Dr. James Baker, Administrator
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Herbert C. Hoover Building
Room 5128
14th and Constitution Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20230
Ms. Hilda Diaz-Soltero, Director
Office of Protected Resources
National Marine Fisheries Service
1315 East West highway
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Dear Dr. Baker and Ms. Diaz-Soltero:
On behalf of the worldwide membership of Australians for
Animals (AFA), and BREACH Marine Protection (BREACH), we are
writing regarding the failure of the National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS) to make a final decision on its draft Environmental
Assessment (EA) of the Makah Tribeoes Harvest of up to Five Gray
Whales per Year for Cultural and Subsistence Use.
As you know, the 49th meeting of the International Whaling
Convention (IWC) is scheduled to begin on the 20th of October in
Monaco. AFA and BREACH initially notified the NMFS on June 26,
1997 that its efforts to obtain a quota for Makah whaling were in
violation of NEPA and other applicable federal statutes. In
response, the NMFS initiated an expedited schedule to prepare an
EA, solicit public comment, and, presumably, to consider those
comments and render a decision before the IWC meeting. Substantial
comments in opposition to Makah whaling were submitted by many
organizations and individuals, including: Australians for Animals,
BREACH Marine Protection, Earth Kind, Global Whale Watching Web,
SEA Reef Relief, Earth Island Institute, Marine Mammal Advocates,
World Organization of Whalewatching, In Defense of Animals,
International Fund for Animal Welfare, Orca Spirit Adventures,
Ltd., Great Whales Foundation, Deer Harbor Charters, Cetacean
Society International, San Juan Boat Tours, Animal Protection
Institute, Freedom Information Network, Civitas, Citizens for
Planetary Health, The Marine Connection, Progressive Animal Welfare
Society, Orca Island Eclipse Charters, Humane Society of the United
States, Zoocheck Canada, Inc., Cetacean Ambassador Network, The
Cousteau Society, Animal Welfare Institute, Orenda Wildlife Land
Trust, The Jean-Michael Cousteau Institute, Return to the Wild,
Western Ancient Forest Campaign, Whalesave, Whale and Dolphin
Conservation Society, Whale Rescue Team, Orcalab (Dr. Paul Spong),
Elsa Nature Conservance, Protect Our Waters & Environmental
Resources, Integral Publishing, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society,
D. Davies Pty. Ltd., Nature's Images, Inc., San Juan Safaris, Dr.
Jim Darling, and the Honorable Jack Metcalf (R. WA.).
It now appears, however, that the solicitation of comments was
a make-work exercise and that the NMFS may not even attempt to
respond to the comments or otherwise fulfill its NEPA obligations
before submitting the Makah whaling proposal to the IWC. We
therefore request that you respond to this letter before the close
of business on October 14, 1997, indicating that the United States
will either delay presenting the quota proposal at least until the
next meeting of the IWC in June of 1998 or explaining why the NMFS
has elected not to complete its NEPA analysis before taking the
critical step of seeking the Makah quota.
As you are well aware, this issue is immensely controversial.
This controversy is not limited to national and international whale
protection organizations, but extends to the U.S. Congress, the
governments of foreign countries, and people from around the world.
More than sixty different individuals and associations submitted
comments reflecting serious concerns about deficiencies in the
draft EAoes analysis of the biological effects of, and applicable
legal standards for, NMFSoes proposed action. The comments were
overwhelmingly opposed to the proposal and raised a myriad of
issues that warrant you serious scrutiny. Under the circumstances,
the NMFS will make a total mockery of the NEPA process by
advocating for a quota at the IWC before fully considering, and
publishing its analysis of, the public comments.
In previous correspondence, AFA and BREACH have explained why
there should be an immediate halt to the pursuit of a quota for the
Makah because the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
("NOAA") and the NMFS have proceeded in blatant violation of NEPA
and at cross-purposes with other federal statutes designed to
protect marine mammals. These violations of U.S. law are not
excused, and cannot be skirted, by virtue of the fact that an
international body, the IWC, will ultimately be called on to
determine whether a gray whale quota will be established. To the
contrary, as you appear to have recognized, the decisions of your
agencies that gray whale hunting should be conducted in U.S.
waters, and your accompanying concrete actions in furtherance of
such hunting by the Makah, plainly implicate NEPA and other federal
statutes which have simply not been implemented in full compliance
with the law.
NOAA and NMFS violated NEPA by failing to engage in any NEPA
review in connection with their 1996 agreement with the Makah. The
agencies are continuing to violate NEPA by taking steps to
implement that agreement without fully considering public input or
analyzing the effects of, and alternatives to, the hunting of gray
whales by the Makah. In view of these past and ongoing violations
of NEPA -- and the lack of any urgent need for gray whale hunting
by the Makah or anyone else -- we request that you delay presenting
the quota proposal at least until the next meeting of the IWC in
June of 1998.
As noted above, if we do not receive a response from you on or
before October 14, 1997, explaining how you intend to fulfil your
NEPA obligations, we will have no choice but consider alternative
avenues, including judicial relief.
Sincerely,
Eric Glitzenstein Meyer & Gliztenstein, Washington DC.
Counsel
Jonathan Lovvorn
Counsel
D.J. Schubert
Wildlife Biologist
On behalf of AFA and BREACH
cc: Mr. William Daley, Secretary, U.S. Department of Commerce
Dinah Bear, General Counsel, CEQ
Date: Sat, 11 Oct 1997 12:25:26 -0400 (EDT)
From: Snugglezzz@aol.com
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Hog Farms Beat New Rules With Early Permit Applications
Message-ID: <971011122522_1032718232@emout11.mail.aol.com>
Tulsa World, Tulsa, OK, USA: Hundreds of odor complaints and concerns about
the threat to groundwater led to a tighter permit process for Oklahoma's
large-scale hog farms, but hundreds of farms won't be affected because
they've beaten an application deadline.
As many as 275 swine operations are likely to be in place before new rules
for confined animal feed operations, written specifically to address concerns
about the growing hog industry, take affect. House Bill 1522, known as the
hog bill, grandfathered in existing operations that either held a license or
had applied for a license by Sept. 1.
New operations that beat the deadline would not have to follow the bill's
rules concerning site set-up. However, they still could face penalties in the
future for such problems as leaking lagoons.
Currently, 310 confined animal feed operations hold licenses from the
Oklahoma Department of Agriculture. Swine form the bulk of that group, with
203 licenses, while poultry, dairy and beef feedlots hold the remainder.
Nearly 75 swine operations and planned swine farms beat the Sept. 1 deadline.
If all were approved, the number of hog operations would swell by more than
one-third.
In response to concerns that licensing had been voluntary and punishment of
leaking waste lagoons had been non-existent, the law was changed to make
licensing mandatory and provide penalties for seeping lagoons. The group of
applications under review represents the last batch to fall under the
voluntary guidelines.
The agriculture department has until Monday to review all the applications en
route to the agriculture board for a vote. Most applications are going
through technical or administrative review, said the department's Tina
Gunter.
Feedlots require licenses based on the number of animals they contain over
time. In Oklahoma, operations keeping 2,500 swine weighing more than 55
pounds for a total of 45 days or more during a year must be licensed.
Oklahoma is one of only five states where the agriculture department oversees
regulation of confined area feed operations.
Although contract hog growing has been beneficial to some farmers, the
department received a large number of complaints from neighbors of the
largest operations, some holding 120,000 swine, Agriculture Secretary Dennis
Howard said.
Keeping that in mind, Howard said he encouraged operators to stay away from
rivers and lakes, stay away from homes and pick remote locations.
Even using those guidelines, the batch currently under review included some
applicants situated close enough to neighbors to cause concern.
The Oklahoma United Methodist Camp and Retreat Centers sought Howard's help
in determining what to do about 20 licenses that Land O'Lakes applied for
near Hinton and Red Rock Canyon State Park in Caddo County. Those sites are
within the three-mile setback from state parks required by the new rules, but
since the applications arrived before the deadline, they would be permitted.
The fate of the licenses remains in the state agriculture board.
-- Sherrill
Date: Sat, 11 Oct 1997 19:18:21 -0400 (EDT)
From: "A. Hogan"
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: VCR Alert: NBC Nightly News (Saturday) Hog Farms
Message-ID:
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
The NBC Nightly News for Saturday 11 October 1997 ended with a report
about the corporate hog farms trend, especially in the USA Midwest, and
the aesthetic, enviro, and health problems caused thereby. IN's Purdue
University is working on technological fixes. No mention was made of not
eating pigs as a solution.
Date: Sun, 12 Oct 1997 09:31:37 +0800
From: bunny
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (Australia) Urgent -NPI Legislation
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19971012091141.2ca75972@wantree.com.au>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
URGENT
RE: NATIONAL POLLUTANT INEVTORY
Dear ALL,
>The latest draft of the NPI has just been released today and transfers
>have been taken out. That is emissions to sewer, landfill and tailings
>dams & recovery and recycling. This is a last minute exclusion as
>transfers have been in all along. Without transfers the whole scheme
>become pretty Mickey mouse. Please find attached a draft media release
>to go out on Monday (13 Oct). Please let me know if you would like
to endorse it. It would be useful to get as many groups as possible.
ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS EMAIL ME (biomap@spirit.com.au) OR MATT FROM
GREENPEACE THE MESSAGE.... I ENDORSE NPI PRESS RELEASE, BY SUNDAY
(12TH
OCT) 9PM WITH THE NAME OF YOUR GROUP / ORGANISATION....
MATT'S email is matt.ruchel@dialb.greenpeace.org
work number is 03-9486-8662
Fax is -03-9486-8663
and AH number is: 03-9482-2227.
MARIANN'S NUMBER IS 06 2885881 (F&T)>
Regards
Matt Ruchel - Greenpeace Oz
Mariann Grinter - National Toxics Network
and NECF reps on the NGO Advisory committee for the NPI.
DRAFT
>FINAL BETRAYAL - GREEN ANGER AT TOXIC POLLUTION PROPOSAL
>
>SYDNEY, Monday, October 13: National Environment groups today
>condemned the Federal & State Government draft National Pollutant
>Inventory (NPI) proposal as being the final betrayal of the Australian
>communities right to know about pollution.
>
>Environment groups have dubbed the proposal `mickey mouse' and well
>below international best practice because it excludes the reporting of
>toxic chemicals dumped into sewers, landfills and tailing dams which
>are significant sources of environmental pollution. The proposal also
>actively excludes enforcement and will cover a reporting list of
>chemicals only one twentieth the size of a similar program in the
>United States.*
>
>Australia's largest environment groups including Greenpeace Australia,
>the World Wide Fund for Nature, the Australian Conservation
>Foundation, Friends of Earth were joined by State Conservation
>Councils, the National Toxics Network and local community groups * in
>condemning the National Environment Protection Councils final draft
>National Pollutant Inventory measure. *
>
>" The United States and Canada all include transfers of toxic
>chemicals into sewer, landfills and tailing dams in their pollutant
>inventories" said Matt Ruchel Greenpeace Australia, National Toxics
>Campaign Coordinator and national environmental group representative
>on the governments NPI advisory group.
>
> "The decision by the National Environment Protection Council to drop
> transfers from the final draft flies in face of international best
> practice and the strong community views expressed in over four years
> of consultation on the National Pollutant Inventory". said Marianne
> Grinter from National Toxics Network and community group
> representative on the NPI Advisory Group.
>
>The National Pollutant Inventory (NPI) is an innovative programme
>which requires companies to report their annual toxic pollution to a
>publicly accessible data base. Similar schemes overseas, particularly
>in the United States have be attributed with achieving up to a 40%
>reduction in pollution and waste and significant savings to industries
>through waste reduction and clean production.
>
>The National Pollutant Inventory has been in development since 1992
>and is currently nearing final draft form and will be submitted in
>early 1998 to State & Federal Environment Ministers at the ministerial
>council of the National Environment Protection Council (NEPC).
>
>The exclusion of transfers means that thousands of tonnes of toxic
>pollution can continue to be dumped by industry into the environment
>through the sewage system, into landfill and tailings dams without
>appropriate public scrutiny.
>
>" By excluding these emissions to the environment Australian
>governments have turned the National Pollutant Inventory into a mickey
>mouse scheme and left a bolt hole for dirty industries to continue to
>secretly dump hazardous chemicals into the environment" said Ruchel
>
>Environment groups also attacked industry groups such as the Minerals
>Council who have been intensively lobbying to get transfers removed
>from the National Pollutant Inventory.
>
>"The Australian community has a right to know about pollution.
>Australian industry has for to long be able to secretly pollute the
>environment without the communities knowledge - this must stop', said
>Matt Ruchel.
>
>Environment groups also expressed concern over the lack of enforcement
>provisions in the proposed National Pollutant Inventory, the long
>start up time for the scheme and the relatively small number of
>chemicals proposed to reported. Environment groups called on both the
>Federal and State Environment Ministers to ensure that transfers were
>included in the National Pollutant Inventory and that the scheme was
>legislated and enforceable across the whole country.
>
>For more information contact:
>
>Matt Ruchel, Greenpeace Australia 03-9486-8662
>Mariann Grinter, National Toxics Network - 06-288-5881
>James Wheelan QCC- 07-3221-0188
>David Butcher WWF - 02-9299-6366
>
>NOTES:
>* Endorsed and supported by: Greenpeace Australia Ltd, the Australian
>Conservation Foundation (?), World Wide Fund for Nature, National
>Toxics Network, Queensland Conservation Council (QCC), Hazardous
>Materials Action Group (HAZMAG), Friends of the Earth, Environment
>Center - Northern Territory, Conservation Council South Australian,
>Urban Ecology Australia, Werribee Residents Against Toxic Dump,
>Residents Against Niddrie Quarry (?), National Toxin Action Group Inc,
>Conservation Council of South East Region & Canberra
>
>* The United States, Toxics Release Inventory presently requires the
>mandatory annual reporting of over 600 toxic substances. The Australia
>National Pollutant Inventory only proposes to require companies to
>report 38 substances in the first two years and around 95 substances
>in the year 2000. In the third year the NPI will be reviewed.
>
>* The National Environment Protection Council (NEPC) is a relatively
>new Ministerial Council made up of Ministers from each State &
>Territory of Australia and the Commonwealth. The NEPC was established
>by uniform and complementary legislation in each State & Territory and
>the Commonwealth for the purpose giving all Australian's the benefit
>of equivalent environmental protection.
>
>* Present members of the NEPC include: Senator Robert Hill (Federal)
>Hon Gary Humphries, (ACT), Hon Pam Allan (NSW), The Hon David Wotton
>(SA), Hon Peter Hodgman, (TAS), The Hon Cheryl Edwardes, (WA), Hon
>Brian Littleproud (QLD), Hon Marie Tehan (Vic), Hon Mike Reed (NT).
>
>ENDS
>
>
>Matt Ruchel
>Campiagner
>Greenpeace Australia
>TEL:61-+3-9486-8662
>FAX: 61-+3-9486-8663
>matt.ruchel@dialb.greenpeace.org
>or from inside GP matt.ruchel@dialb.gl3
>
>
===========================================
Rabbit Information Service,
P.O.Box 30,
Riverton,
Western Australia 6148
Email> rabbit@wantree.com.au
http://www.wantree.com.au/~rabbit/rabbit.htm
(Rabbit Information Service website updated frequently)
/`\ /`\
(/\ \-/ /\)
)6 6(
>{= Y =}<
/'-^-'\
(_) (_)
| . |
| |}
jgs \_/^\_/
Date: Sat, 11 Oct 1997 23:52:08 -0400
From: Shirley McGreal
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: More Indonesia-US monkey shipments
Message-ID: <1.5.4.32.19971012035208.006bf888@awod.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
IPPL has received further documents pertaining to shipments of
monkeys reaching the United States from Indonesia via Chicago in 1997. The
species involved is Macaca fascicularis (crab-eating or long-tailed macaque
also known as cynomolgus monkey), a CITES Appendix II species. Incoming
shipments are inspected by Centers for Disease Control inspectors for
compliance with quarantine regulations and are supposed to be inspected by
US Fish and Wildlife Service inspectors for compliance with CITES, including
humane shipment requirements.
25 January 1997 shipment
On 25 January 1997, a shipment of 100 crab-eating monkeys reached
Chicago from Indonesia on Northwest Airlines, in bitterly cold weather. The
supplier was CV Universal Fauna and the importer was Covance of Denver,
Pennsylvania. According to CDC, the primates were removed from the plane to
a cargo area in a "tug." A tug is a tractor pulling a trailer in which
suitcases are normally carried. The trailers are not heated. One hopes these
living, frightened primates were not treated like suitcases. The ramp staff
could not wear tyvek suits" because "they could not fit them over the heavy
winter clothing they were wearing." CDC commented, "It was so cold that
ramp/cargo personnel had no interest in any cargo shipment. This is one
advantage of shipping the NHPs in winter!" The animals were trucked from
Chicago to Pennsylvania.
The importer's vehicle was described: "Cab separate from storage
area as are the heating and refrigeration...units. Walls of storage area are
covered in some kind of styrofoam and the floor is metal." In response to
the question on the CDC checklist, "Were the primates fed and watered during
transfer?" CDC commented, "Because of the extreme cold and wind XXX [name
deleted] decided to wait to feed and water until they could find a sheltered
area."
CDC Chicago inspector Ms Sena Blumensaadt commented in a message to
Tom de Marcus, her boss in Atlanta:
"NHPs on NW 006 came in today. All are alive, alert and managed to
survive the blistering cold in Chicago unlike Jim who works for XXX and who
took a bad tumble on the ice, poor fellow."
IPPL wonders why a shipment of tropical monkeys was sent to icy,
windy, Chicago in midwinter, and what US regulations, if any, are applicable
to shipments undertaken in weather extremes.
--------------------------------------
A shipment of 100 monkeys shipped by CV Universal Fauna reached
Chicago on 5 March. This may have been the shipment referred to in an e-mail
from Thomas de Marcus to the Chicago CDC office:
"From De Marcus, Thomas A
To Quarantine station, Chicago [and long copy list, not including USFWS]
Subject: Wednesday evening, Monkey business
Date: Tuesday, March 04, 1997
FYI, I plan to be in Denver PA on Thursday evening to momitor the
arrival of Covance's shipment scheduled to arrive on AF 6400 Wednesday p.m.
I will be in travel status this pm and tomorrow. Please use Voicecom
[numbers omitted] to keep me posted re: any delays, cancelled flights, ETA
in Denver etc. Thanks. Monkey Man"
Reply from Chicago
"10-4 Monkey Man!" [for non US nationals 10-4 = "message received"
in citizens' band radio lingo].
------------------------------------
22 March 1997 shipment
On 22 March, a shipment of 100 crab-eating macaques reached O'Hare
Airport, Chicago from Indonesia on Northwest Airlines. The shipper was CV
Universal Fauna and the importer was Covance. The CDC inspector left part of
the check-list blank because, "The areas that are left blank, are left blank
because the inspector was not present for the entire shipment. Due to
weekend staffing, there was only one inspector on duty."
A Fish and Wildlife Service inspector was present for this shipment.
31 May 1997 shipment
On 31 May 1997 a shipment of 253 monkeys reached O'Hare Airport,
Chicago, from Jakarta, Indonesia. This shipment included 19 babies aged 3
weeks and up, and six pregnant monkeys. This is one of the two shipments
from Inquatex to LABS that are the cause of international protest.
On 29 May Sena Blumensaadt, CDC inspector at O'Hare, reported to Tom
De Marcus of CDC-Atlanta:
"We rec'd a call today from Air France about the NHP importation
scheduled for this evening. The plane has had a mechanical and has been
cancelled. Mike (AF Rep.) told me that because of the "nature of the
commodity" on board, they will scurry and try to get them on tomorrow's late
evening cargo flight. If unsuccessful, they will be arriving at O'Hare at 4
a.m. on Saturday.
Marty asked me about the current location of the monkeys and how
they'll be nurtured, so I called Mike back to find out. They have arrived in
France and Mike reports, "They're not in cages, there's a place at the
airport where they'll keep the animals...well, maybe they're left in the
cages, but they'll be taken care of...well, I'm positive they're OK no
matter where they are."
So, for what it's worth, this is the "official" report from Air
France on the status of the NHPs!!!!"
Sena Blumensaadt later reported to Tom De Marcus of CDC-Atlanta:
"All NHPs arrived on time and in good shape. However the CRATES were
in awful shape. The NHPs were having a field day figuring how to escape from
Alcatraz and one actually managed it by chewing thru the 1/4 inch plywood.
Luckily, the escape occured in France while at the animal handlers' in
France and so they were able to capture it [sic, the animal was a nursing
mother, hence a "she"]. The potential for further problems like this one is
the reason AF gave me for their current moratorium on shipping NHPs.
The wonderful thing is that someone in France then patched up the
crates and nailed a mesh around the outside of the crates to ensure that
another "escapee wanabee" didn't succeed. I told an AF cargo supervisor how
happy I was about this and he telexed his folks in France thanking them on
my behalf. Anyway, because of the outside mesh, XXX [name deleted by CDC]
didn't feed and water and so these 255 NHPs were rapidly transferred without
problems.
I'm working Monday and will type up the report and e-mail it to you
then."
Tom de Marcus replied, with multiple copies, but none to the US Fish
and Wildlife Service, which enforces the US humane shipment regulations.
"Thanx Sena, as you know, this shipment is one of a series of large
shipments from Indonesia to LABS of Virginia in SC. From communications with
LABS late Friday and again on Sunday, I learned that the shipment included
several nursing mother/infant pairs and that one mother had died en route.
The animal was reportedly necropsied in Paris and the infant euthanized. AF
was very concerned about this (apparently they had problems with this
shipper before and has had a commitment they would not ship such pairs) as
well as the inadequate crates. [Comment: in that case Air France ground
personnel in Jakarta should have refused to carry the mother/infant pairs].
It's possible the delay caused by the death contributed to the crate
failure and escape in Paris, considering the poor crate construction. I hope
to get more info re what happened in Paris and the extent of the moratorium.
The shipment arrived in SC in good shape early Sunday and the animals were
transferred (with some difficulty due to the reinforcement you described)
into their quarantine cages. Dr. Ward at LABS will be providing photos: did
you happen to get any? Did Fish and Wildlife monitor the arrival and see the
crates and mother/baby pairs?
Thanks again for your conscientious attention to details in
monitoring these unpredictable shipments."
USFWS was not present to inspect and it is clear that CDC knew
something was wrong - but apparently failed to inform USFWS.
-------------------------------
14 June 1997
On 14 June, a shipment of crab-eating macaques [number deleted by
CDC] reached Chicago. All were certified to be captive-born. The shipment
was carried by Garuda to Beijing and then by Northwest Airlines to the US.
The flight arrived at 1.13 p.m. on Saturday 14 June. No Fish and Wildlife
Service inspector was present. CDC found no problems with the crates in
which these animals were shipped.
------------------------
Miami Inspection Situation still not resolved
The port of Miami used to be notorious for the failure of its
wildlife inspectors to look at most incoming shipments of ANY wildlife. This
laxity as it existed in 1992 was exposed by IPPL's detailed study "A Month
in Miami."
A shipment of crab-eating macaques reached the United States via
Miami Airport at 1.30 p.m. on 14 March 1997. The shipper was Air France and
the importer was Primate Products. 14 March was a Saturday, but there should
have been a US Fish and Wildlife inspector on duty at 1.30 p.m. I believe
there are around 6 full-time inspectors assigned to Miami, and at least one
should be on call at all times. Yet CDC reported that no other federal
agency inspected this shipment.
A US Fish and Wildlife Service print-out of primate shipments
reaching the United States as of 16 June 1997 makes no mention at all of
this shipment. IPPL is asking the USFWS Division of Law Enforcement to
improve its record-keeping. In the past primate shipments have regularly
cleared Miami with zero percent inspection. IPPL does not know yet whether
this non-inspection is an isolated incident or, as before, a pattern.
|---------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
| Dr. Shirley McGreal | PHONE: 803-871-2280 |
| Int. Primate Protection League | FAX: 803-871-7988 |
| POB 766 | E-MAIL: ippl@awod.com |
| Summerville SC 29484 | Web: http://www.ippl.org |
|---------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
|
|