Following continued attacks by anti-hunting groups to ban traditional ammunition (ammunition containing lead-core components) under the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) of 1976, Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) earlier this week introduced legislation to clarify the longstanding exemption of ammunition under the act, according to a release by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, which is also championing the bill.
“We applaud and thank Sen. Lincoln for introducing this commonsense measure today,” said NSSF President and CEO Stephen L. Sanetti in a release. “This bill will help to ensure that America’s hunters and shooters can continue to choose for themselves the best ammunition to use.”
Last month, on the heels of a strong grassroots campaign led by NSSF, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) denied a petition by the anti-hunting Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) to ban the production and distribution of traditional ammunition. The decision to deny the petition was met with strong support from hunting and conservation groups that recognized a ban on traditional ammunition would have a negative impact on wildlife conservation, according to the NSSF. The organization said the federal excise tax that manufacturers pay on the sale of ammunition (11%) is a primary source of wildlife conservation funding.
“Wildlife management is the proper jurisdiction of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the 50 state wildlife agencies,” said NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane.
