When it comes to mitigating the environmental effects of firefighting retardant, the U.S. Forest Service is hoping the second time’s the charm for continued use of the iconic red slurry.
In a new Draft Environmental Impact Statement, the agency offers new guidelines for use of the retardant on federal land, including limiting use near waterways, mapping avoidance areas, and consulting with biologists and monitoring areas after a drop.
"We feel this does a better job of protecting sensitive resources while allowing us to meet our obligations to protect people and property, and do so safely,'' the Associated Press quoted spokesman Glen Stein as saying. "Now we're waiting to see what the public thinks.''
The Forest Service came under environmental fire for using the retardant, which is a mixture of water and ammonium-based fertilizer thought to be a threat to fish and plants, according to a July Associated Press article. But after conducting a court-mandated environmental assessment, USFS claimed the retardant had insignificant environmental effects.
In July, however, a federal district judge sent USFS back to the drawing board, saying its study, plus similar opinions by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service, were arbitrary and capricious, according to the AP.
The draft EIS considered three alternatives—including discontinuing retardant use or maintaining the status quo—before citing the more careful usage guidelines as the preferred alternative. Some alternatives, such as removing all restrictions on use, using only water to fight fire, and waiting until a non-toxic retardant was developed, were considered and dismissed.
Not everyone was impressed with the Forest Service’s second try. Andy Stahl, Executive Director of Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics, the environmental group which brought the original lawsuits, said he believed more information about the effectiveness of the slurry was needed to fulfill the court’s July mandate.
“I think they're going to be compelled to do somewhat better than this,” Stahl told the AP.
The USFS will be collecting public comments on the draft EIS until June 27. Those interested in submitting their opinion will find more information on the Aerial Application of Fire Retardant website. The final EIS, when released, will also be available there.
Jolie Breeden is the lead editor and science communicator for Natural Hazards Center publications. She writes and edits for Research Counts; the Quick Response, Mitigation Matters, Public Health, and Weather Ready Research Award report series; as well as for special projects and publications. Breeden graduated summa cum laude from the University of Colorado Boulder with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.