Poison Free Malibu’s Rat Poison Bill Advances In State Senate
Written by 991KBU on July 10, 2019
California may soon ban rat poison.
The state Assembly has already passed AB 1788 …. authored by Assemblyman Richard Bloom, of Santa Monica.
Now … state Senator Henry Stern of Malibu is pushing it through the Senate.
It passed a key committee vote yesterday.
The bill is endorsed by Poison Free Malibu.
It would prohibit the use of second generation rat poison.
These newer, faster-acting rat poisons already are not supposed to be sold to consumers.
Pest control companies are using the,.
And they are accidentally killing mountain lions, foxes, raptor birds and other predators that feed on poisoned rodents.
American Chemistry Council members manufacture rat poison.
They argue that scientific evaluation should be allowed to take place before the Legislature bans a product … leaving California with fewer and in some cases less effective methods for controlling rodent populations.
Stern tells the San Francisco Chronicle that there are better solutions for dealing with rodents than rat poison, especially in a place like California that prides itself on its environmental credentials.
“There’s something very human, in fact, about having wildness in our backyards,” he said. “And my fear is that the next generation will never know what that feels like.”
The Assembly approved the bill in May. The measure has until mid-September to pass the state Senate, where it still must clear several committees and a floor vote.
