Trump administration quietly reverses ban on cyanide bombs that 'poisoned countless people'
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Trump administration quietly reverses ban on cyanide bombs that 'poisoned countless people'")
M-44 cyanide bombs are poison traps meant for coyotes, but also end up injuring and killing other species. Photograph: (Wikimedia Commons)
M-44 poison traps spray sodium cyanide powder when triggered, and were flagged as a risk to endangered species and humans. A report states that a new memo appears to have opened the doors for the use of cyanide bombs again after they were banned in 2023.
The Trump administration has quietly brought back cyanide bombs, once used to control predator populations, but banned in 2023 because they were not only killing native and other endangered species, but also poisoning people. According to a report by Gizmodo, the Bureau of Land Management and the Agriculture Department’s Wildlife Services program signed a memorandum in April which effectively repeals the ban on these cyanide bombs. The M-44s are poison traps that spray sodium cyanide powder on public lands, affecting a wider population of creatures who become the unintentional target of this weapon. Predator Defense, a nonprofit working to protect native predators and to end America's war on wildlife, calls M-44s "indiscriminate killers". It said in a statement, "They are meant to kill coyotes", but they also end up killing "endangered species, essential native predators, and countless beloved dogs, none of which can read warning signs." The group further added that it has "poisoned countless people" and it would eventually some day "kill a child."
Environmentalists have been against M-44s that have been used to protect livestock from predators, control invasive species, manage wildlife diseases and keep humans safe from wild animals. They have been flagged as inhumane to the creatures and dangerous to humans. The Trump administration had done the same thing in 2019 as well. In 2017, a 14-year-old boy and his dog were accidentally sprayed by the cyanide bombs in Idaho. While the boy survived, the canine died. Idaho, Colorado, and Oregon have placed restrictions or bans on the use of M-44s. Trump's officials reauthorised its use in 2019, but reversed the order following public outcry. The Biden administration ordered Wildlife Services not to use M-44s on BLM lands nationwide in 2023. However, BLM and Wildlife Services appear to have reached a deal to reverse it again.
Bureau of Land Management responds to M-44 use
According to the new order, Wildlife Services must notify the local BLM field office and/or district office before using pesticides restricted by the Environmental Protection Agency. The M-44s fall under the same purview, which means the poison traps can be deployed with prior intimation. A spokesperson for the BLM told the outlet that the memo does not itself "authorise or expand use of M-44s" and refers to restricted-use pesticides that "may be considered under existing law and environmental review." However, environmentalists are concerned about the new memo, and many organisations have said they will fight the order.
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