As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Thursday 16 March 2017

New measures approved to protect birds from contaminated pit


March 03, 2017 at 5:11 pm | By MATT VOLZ

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Federal officials said Friday they have approved new measures meant to prevent a repeat of last fall's mass bird deaths in a contaminated former open-pit mine in Montana, including noise-making cannons and radar and laser systems.

The measures also include the use of strobe lights and remote-controlled boats and aircraft to haze birds off the toxic water, plus strategically placed decoys to divert birds away from the Berkeley Pit in Butte, part of the nation's largest Superfund site.

Some of the technology can be deployed immediately, while others — including a laser net covering the pit — will need additional regulatory approval, said Nikia Greene, the project manager for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

"We're going to try all that are available at this time," Greene said. "I know the cannons are available. Things like that, we're going to try right away."

Last November, between 3,000 and 4,000 migrating snow geese died when they sought refuge in the pit filled with 50 billion gallons of toxic, metal-laden water. The sheer number rendered ineffective the existing bird deterrent system, which includes noisemakers called Phoenix Wailers.

The spring migration season began on Wednesday, increasing the urgency to approve the new measures. If they are effective, the Berkeley Pit's waterfowl mitigation program will be permanently updated to include them for the fall migration and beyond, Greene said.


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