It's still a privacy issue. The ranchers receive the lethal collars from the government to protect livestock from animals such as coyotes and wolves. Disclosure The plaintiffs have asked Smith to rule for them on most of the suit before the trial. The livestock collars, filled with sodium fluoroacetate, are fitted around the necks of sheep and goats. If predators or other animals bite the neck of the animal, the collar releases a lethal dose of the chemical, killing the predator.
Opponents say the collars' compound is a danger to pets, to ground water and to endangered species.
Smith issued a preliminary injunction in February 2000 ordering the Agriculture Department to restrict responses to federal Freedom of Information Act requests that seek information on those participating in the predator control program. But some groups say the injunction is being used beyond its original scope, making it difficult for other citizens to get requested information used to monitor taxpayer-sponsored federal programs. Back to Top 2001 Grand Forks Herald.