[CPEO-MEF] MUNITIONS: Citizen Group Petitions Supreme Court in Case Charging FBI with Discharging Toxic Lead Waste into Lake Michigan

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

From: Steven B. Pollack <Steve@EcoEsq.com>


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Chicago - January 12, 2010

The Blue Eco Legal Council today filed a petition with the United States
Supreme Court seeking review of the dismissal of its case against the
Department of Justice, Navy, and Marines for discharging lead bullets
into Lake Michigan at the FBI firearms training range in North Chicago,
IL. Blue Eco had asked in its complaint for $35.2 million to hire a
company to remove the accumulated 90 years of lead discharges from the
lakebed and $20 million for damages to natural resources to fund an
environmentally beneficial project.

"It is sad to us that the courts are refusing to apply environmental
statutes against the executive branch at federal facilities. The DOJ
refuses to hold itself to basic environmental standards, the same
standards it enforces against private facilities" said Steven B.
Pollack, Executive Director of the Blue Eco Legal Council, a local
advocacy group, "The President has abdicated his responsibility to
uphold the law by allowing the government to violate the law."

The group claims this case raises serious questions of social
environmental injustice. Why is it that low-income minority communities
like North Chicago are disproportionately affected by government
pollution?

From the petition: "There is no precedent for a party to be allowed to
continue discharging pollutants into water because a plaintiff lacked
standing. It is disturbing that the first instance involves the
government and the courts are looking the other way despite evidence of
obstruction of justice by the government attorneys." Page 40.

This petition was enhanced by grant from Freshwater Future to use a
commercial Supreme Court document preparer for this petition. Please
consider joining/donating to Freshwater Future, a 501(c)(3) organization
dedicated to making small grants to Great Lakes advocacy groups like
ours. http://freshwaterfuture.org/membership.html

For further information, please contact:

Steven B. Pollack, Attorney
Executive Director, Blue Eco Legal Council
P.O. Box 1370
Highland Park, IL 60035
steve@ecoesq.com
www.ecoesq.com



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Lenny Siegel
Executive Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
a project of the Pacific Studies Center
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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