The trump administration is making ways to help energy companies run away with killing millions of birds every year. The migratory bird treaty act is a 1918 conservation law that protects birds and animals in America.
The Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) of 1918 16 U.S.C 703-712 states clearly that, “…it shall be unlawful at any time, by any means or in any manner, to peruse, hunt, take, capture, kill any migratory bird, any part, nest or eggs if any such bird…”
Trump administration against Obama-era policies
Trump explicitly campaigned on protecting the birds from energy sources, specifically wind power, and said, “The wind kills all your birds.” But now he’s allowing to drill within the Americas largest nursery and is running away from huge infrastructure projects that protect birds.
In Jan 2017, the Interior Dept. interpreted that the energy companies must be held liable for the death of birds as a result of their actions. But trump’s interior department has reversed course and have made it easier for them to kill birds. A memo from the Department of Interior posted that the Trump administration will not criminally prosecute the companies which accidentally kill migratory birds. This decision reverses the rule made by the Obama administration during their last weeks.
Principal Deputy Solicitor, Danie Jorjani, from the Department of interior, in his address earlier said that this memorandum finds that the Migratory Bird Treaty Act’s prohibitions on perusing, hunting, taking, capturing, killing or attempting to do the same applies to the affirmative actions that have as their purpose the taking and killing of migratory birds, or their nests or their eggs.
Interpreting the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to make it applicable to incidental or accidental actions hangs the sword of Damocles and is applicable over a host of otherwise lawful and productive actions. This act also threatens up to 6 months in jail along with a penalty of $15,000 for each and every injured or killed bird or animal.
Trump administration riddling with flawed decisions
According to Audubon Society, 175 million birds are killed every year due to power lines. Similarly, 50 million birds die every year by communication towers and up to 1 million birds are killed in oil waste pits. Energy companies could be off the hook for all of these killings.
This could be a serious crime if properly handled by the Trump administration.
Gutting the Migratory Bird Treaty Act runs not only against the legal precedent, but it also runs against the basic conservation laws. Chief Conservation Officer, David O’Neil, from the National Audubon Society is of the thought that for many decades, the republicans and democrats have accepted and embraced both conservation and economic growth and prosperity. Now this Administration is pitting them against one another and is proving that it has no affection for the protection of earth or Mother Nature.
