US EditionLawsuit Filed in Missoula over Toxic Metals Found in Aerial Fire Retardant
- On May 7, 2025, a group of Forest Service workers committed to environmental ethics initiated a federal lawsuit in Missoula challenging the U.S. Forest Service's use of aerial fire retardants.
- The lawsuit alleges federal agencies violate the Endangered Species Act by not disclosing toxic metals in fire retardants and failing to assess their impact on threatened wildlife.
- A 2024 study from the University of Southern California found that aerial applications of fire retardant between 2009 and 2021 introduced several hundred thousand pounds of harmful metals into the U.S. Environment, posing risks to both aquatic ecosystems and human health.
- Experts such as Andy Stahl and Jack Cohen highlight that fire retardants containing heavy metals like cadmium are highly contaminating and question their overall value, with Cohen describing them as among the most costly and inefficient methods for controlling fires.
- Despite a Missoula judge ruling that fire retardant pollutes water, agencies keep using it amid increasing wildfire risks and costs, while some lawmakers and communities debate the best fire readiness strategies.
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Lawsuit filed in Missoula over toxic metals found in fire retardant
A tanker applies fire retardant during a 2012 fire in Arizona. (USDA Photo)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 potentially causing harm to wildlife, specifically endangered and threatened species, according to new federal lawsuit filed against the U.S. Forest Service. The bright red fire r…
Lawsuit filed in Montana over toxic metals found in aerial fire retardant
Lawsuit filed in Montana over toxic metals found in aerial fire retardant kcpnews2 Sat, 05/17/2025 - 05:00 Image (Daily Montanan) 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, specifica…
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