And the pardons have officially begun …
On Monday, President Bush granted pardons to 14 people and shortened the prison terms of another two, which will probably be the first round of many. No big names on the list, but three are of interest for environmental reasons, including:
• Daniel Figh Pue III, of Conroe, Texas, who was convicted of illegal treatment, storage, and disposal of a hazardous waste without a permit.
• Leslie Owen Collier, of Charleston, Mo., who pleaded guilty in 1995 to unlawfully killing three bald eagles in southeast Missouri. Apparently he was putting pesticide in hamburger meat in order to kill coyotes, but that killed a bunch of other animals, like these three bald eagles. He was convicted of “unauthorized use of a pesticide and violating the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.”
• Milton Kirk Cordes, of Rapid City, S.D., who was convicted of conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act prohibiting importation into the country of wildlife taken in violation of conservation laws.
