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The ongoing efforts to remove lead-based paint from Midway Atoll in the North Pacific looks like they are to gain new impetus with a settlement between the USA's non-profit conservation organization Center for Biological Diversity and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

The settlement "requires the agency to clean up toxic, lead-based paint on Midway Atoll in the Hawaiian archipelago.  This poisonous, lead-based paint kills up to 10,000 Laysan albatross chicks each year and also threatens the endangered Laysan duck.  Today's agreement is a result of a notice of intent to sue filed by the Center over the Fish and Wildlife Service's failure to remediate the situation of hazardous waste harming protected birds - a violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Endangered Species Act and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act" (click here).

Droopwing is a neurological condition that affects albatross chicks on Midway that have ingested lead-based paint chips that have flaked off the old buildings on the island. leading to their death.  A project to ameliorate the situation has been ongoing for some time (click here for details), but this new settlement which requires completion of the cleanup in 2017 looks like it will both expand and speed up the process.  Efforts will now be made to remove selected old buildings and also the soil near them that contains the offending paint chips.

Laysan Albatross Phoebastria immutabilis chicks on Midway Atoll suffering from droopwing
Photographs by Myra Finkelstein

Click here to access a short video clip and more pictures of the droopwing condition.

Search on ""lead paint" to access three previous news items in ACAP Latest News about the lead paint problem on Midway.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 20 June 2012