Is this using the EPA to harass a company that provides a service to gun owners or is this an employer cavalier with their employees’ safety?
It’s sad to have to speculate like this, but this regime has proven its willingness to use big government against its enemies.
BOZEMAN, Mont – (KTVM) The FBI raided Bozeman based USA Brass Thursday morning. We were tipped off by a viewer who told us federal agents were on scene by 9a.m. Throughout the morning we saw agents from the FBI, EPA Criminal Division, and Bozeman Police come and go from the Bozeman business.
Around 12:30 p.m. Agent Bert Marsden identified himself as the resident agent in charge of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Division in Montana. He told NBC Montana agents were expected on scene through the evening, and gave a short statement about the investigation.
“We are investigating alleged violations of environmental law. An investigation takes as long as it takes, and I can’t provide any details as it relates to that,” said Marsden.
USA Brass cleans and resells used ammunition casings. Last fall the Gallatin City-County Health Department reported 22 people, all current or former USA Brass employees showed elevated levels of lead in their blood. In September of 2013 the US Department of Labor cited USA Brass with 10 serious violations and proposed more than $45,000 in penalties and fines.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, OSHA, workers found the company overexposed workers to lead and failed to provide basic safeguards to reduce lead exposure, including breathing protection and protective clothing.
I wouldn’t worry until there are a few more similar companies in trouble with OSHA/EPA… Both of them overreach their authority anyway throughout industry, but one incident doesn’t make a pattern…. yet.
OK they clean brass – where does the lead come from. To the best of my knowledge there is no residue of lead left on the cartridge after it is fired. So please somebody enlighten me – where does the lead come from. Cleaning cartridges involves chemicals and most likely high frequencies. Remember that our current President tried before to block this industry, by trying to get the brass to be melted down instead of reuse.
The lead comes from the lead styphnate in primers. After firing both the inside of the case and the primer pocket are coated in the stuff.
That is one of the reasons I moved to wet tumbling my brass – all the styphnate stays in the water that I don’t have to touch as opposed to all the contaminated dust put off by a vibratory cleaner.
It’s interesting to take a look at the MSDS for various primers. Some (like Winchester) don’t use lead. Others, like CCI do use lead styphnate. Reloaders who use plated bullets and the right primers can create a round that produces very little lead dust.
If they are so concerned about safety, shouldn’t federal Health agents have a physical fitness reauirement? That female is morbidly obese. That’s anything but healthy.
They use her to bust down doors.
Don’t trust anyone with Obama’s federal government.