A federal judge ruled that the Bush administration "plainly violated" the Endangered Species Act when it issued a regulation that eliminated reviews of new pesticides by federal wildlife biologists.
The ruling restored the previous standards, which provided greater protection for endangered plants and animals. The ESA mandates that the Environmental Protection Agency consult with wildlife specialists in the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service to ensure that the use of pesticides will not threaten the survival and recovery of species threatened with extinction.
The August 24 ruling was in response to a lawsuit filed by Earthjustice on behalf of the Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, Helping Our Peninsula's Environment (HOPE), National Wildlife Federation, Natural Resources Defense Council, Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations, and the Washington Toxics Coalition.