Thursday, January 25, 2007
Toxic squirrels
We're not sure what bothers us more about this strory -- the toxic contamination of the ground or the facts that people in New Jersey hunt and eat squirrels:New Jersey has warned squirrel hunters near a toxic waste dump about consuming the critters because they could be contaminated with lead.
It is the first time the state has cautioned Ringwood residents — many who are members of the Ramapough Mountain Indian tribe who hunt and fish in the area — about their squirrel intake, said Tom Slater, a spokesman for the Department of Health and Senior Services.
A lead-contaminated squirrel was found in the area two months ago, prompting the agency, along with the state Department of Environmental Protection, to send out letters advising that adults eat squirrel no more than twice a week and even less for children and pregnant women.
Please don't eat Jersey squirrels.
