Conservative Anti-Government Deregulation Marches On: Bird Deaths Increase

A sad story from the New York Times reports that a regulatory change, a “regulation reinterpretation”, guts reporting requirements and penalties for bird kills arising from various development and business activities. The new rule eliminate criminal penalties for “incidental” migratory bird deaths from normal business. Mandatory reporting of bird deaths is now “purely voluntary” and fines for bird kills are eliminated.

Under the Trump administration’s 2017 reinterpretation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, companies are not subject to prosecution or fines, even after a disaster like the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 that killed or injured about one million birds. BP paid $100 million in fines for that avoidable but catastrophic company mistake. Similarly, the state of Virginia was going to build an artificial island for birds to nest on to compensate for loss of nesting habitat from a bridge and tunnel expansion in Chesapeake Bay tidewaters. After learning of the new interpretation of the law, Virginia abandoned the island and the habitat loss will not be compensated.

What an oil spill does to birds

The Virginia island story is just one of dozens of bird-preservation projects that are terminated after the 2017 policy change. In its standard public deceit mode, the Trump administration lied by called the change in the century-old law protecting migratory birds a technical clarification.

But, the situation is worse than even that. The NYT writes:

Across the country birds have been killed and nests destroyed by oil spills, construction crews and chemical contamination, all with no response from the federal government, according to emails, memos and other documents viewed by The New York Times. Not only has the administration stopped investigating most bird deaths, the documents show, it has discouraged local governments and businesses from taking precautionary measures to protect birds. In one instance, a Wyoming-based oil company wanted to clarify that it no longer had to report bird deaths to the Fish and Wildlife Service. “You are correct,” the agency replied. (emphasis added)

That is the face of deceitful conservative-populist anti-government, anti-environment ideology and rule. Trump ideology isn’t just neutral to the environment, it is actively hostile.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service claims that the Trump administration will “will continue to work cooperatively with our industry partners to minimize impacts on migratory birds.” Unfortunately, documents the NYT reviewed contradict that. A review of over 20 incidents found that short of literally going out to illegally shoot birds, activities where birds die merit no action. This is yet another of the endless Trump and his administration’s lies that they insult the American people with on a now daily basis.

For context, this summarizes the Trump administration’s work to deal with the environment as of June 2019.

The new interpretation is being challenged in court. If the case winds up before a Trump judge, it will probably be upheld. Otherwise, it is reasonable to think the new ‘interpretation’ will be overturned because it sounds more like the law is being illegally rewritten than merely reinterpreted. Time will tell how this plays out.

In the meantime, thousands or millions of birds will be mindlessly displaced or slaughtered in the name of Trump and his rigid ideological hate of environmental concerns. The companies and states that go along with this indefensible immorality reveal how their moral mindsets, or more accurately, lack thereof, work day-to-day.

If you like this, vote for Trump and republicans in 2020 or just stay home and don't vote at all. If you do not like this, vote for democrats in 2020. It’s your choice.