Lawsuit Filed in Montana Over Toxic Metals Found in Aerial Fire Retardant

State Rules Ban Certain Fire-Retardant Chemicals

By Magda Garncarz Vice President, Government Affairs  The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) this month issued regulations that prohibit the sale, manufacture, distribution or importation of certain products that contain chemical flame retardants or chemical analogues exceeding 1,000 parts per million.   The DEP issued these regulations pursuant to a law signed on January 1, 2021, entitled “An Act to Protect Children,…

Lawsuit Filed in Montana Over Toxic Metals Found in Aerial Fire Retardant

MISSOULA, MT – 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,…