[CPEO-MEF] Coast Guard Great Lakes firing criticized

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

Press Release

Green Parties Call for Ceasefire Over Great Lakes

Green Party of Canada
http://www.greenparty.ca

Green Party of the United States
www.gp.org

October 2, 2006


GREEN PARTIES CALL FOR CEASEFIRE OVER GREAT LAKES

CANADA -- The Green Parties of Canada and the United States today called 
on the U.S. Government to stop firing live ammunition using automatic 
weapons in the Great Lakes. The training drills pose a significant 
threat to the health and safety of wildlife, boaters and commercial 
users of the Great Lakes.

"The U.S. Coast Guard's rationale is absurd," said Green Party of Canada 
leader Elizabeth May. "Canada is not harbouring terrorists planning a 
marine assault on the United States across the Great Lakes. The notion 
is ludicrous."

According to the Globe and Mail, the risk of lead exposure to fish and 
over 40 million people who depend on the Great Lakes for drinking water 
has alarmed environmentalists as well as city mayors on both sides of 
the border.

"The Government of Canada along with the governments of Ontario, Quebec, 
and U.S. Great Lake states have been working for years to reduce the 
threat of lead contamination," said May. "Fishermen are banned from 
using lead sinkers yet the U.S. Coast Guard has shown nothing but 
contempt for this effort with its recent actions."

Since January, the U.S. Coast Guard has conducted 24 drills, each time 
firing about 3,000 rounds of lead bullets from machine guns as close as 
eight kilometres from the Canadian border and U.S. shores.

Several international treaties are impacted by the U.S. action, 
including the 1909 Boundary Waters Treaty. The drills also contravene 
the treaty signed at the end of the War of 1812.

"Military actions have serious environmental impacts," said May. 
"Canadian off-shore areas still have serious hazards from munitions, 
chemical biological weapons and ordinance dumped at the end of the 
Second World War. The Prime Minister must act immediately to protect the 
Great Lakes from contamination by the U.S. military."


For the original press release, see
http://www.gp.org/press/pr_2006_10_02b.shtml

--


Lenny Siegel
Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
c/o PSC, 278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org


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