Why deregulate harmful poisons?

Re "Poison already pushes cougars to the edge. Don't make it worse," Opinion Voices, Jan. 13

- RUTH PEEBLES

National Park Service A ROLLBACK of rodenticide poison regulations could further harm cougars and other wildlife.

THAT the California Department of Pesticide Regulation would even consider rolling back existing regulations on the use of the anticoagulant rat poisons despite hard proof that they cause great and unbearable harm up the food chain, causing inhumane deaths in a multitude of species, is stupefying. These anticoagulant rodenticides are horrific. The fact is that safer, alternative rodent control methods are working, yet the department is willing to bring this dreadful poison back into full use. Officials could not possibly offer a good reason.

The deaths caused by this rodenticide are unbearable and horrible: I have watched two bald eagles die on my mother's property as a result of this product.

There was a family of sharp-shinned hawks in my neighborhood (mid-Wilshire) — no longer. All dead from eating poisoned rats.

My dog nearly died from this poison after finding three dead poisoned rats in a hidden spot of my yard and licking them early one morning.

These anticoagulant rat poisons need to be banned everywhere forever.

They cause irreparable harm to our precious wildlife and, yes, to our pets.

For those many advocates of wildlife, including our mountain lions, to learn that the California Department of Pesticide Regulation is proposing to increase pesticide use is beyond abhorrent.