“Catastrophic”: Aerial fire retardant lawsuit could change how California fights wildfires
A federal judge heard oral arguments in a U.S. District Court for the District of Montana on a case over aerial fire retardants that could change the way California fights wildfires. The lawsuit, filed by Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics (FSEEE), is aimed at curbing the Forest Service’s use of aerial fire retardants that are used in firefighting. The suit says that the federal agency pollutes waterways when the retardants are dumped from above national forests without permits, violating the Clean Water Law. The suit asks a federal judge to rule on an injunction that would keep the Forest Service from making aerial fire retardant drops until it receives a Clean Water Act permit. This process could take more than two years, according to the former director of Cal Fire.