Blad demands end to cyanide bomb manufacturing
Mayor Brian Blad is asking the United States Department of Agriculture to “cease the storage and manufacturing of M-44 ‘cyanide bombs” in the city of Pocatello.” In a letter to Acting Secretary of Agriculture Mike Young, Blad called the storage and manufacture of the bomb an “unnecessary risk” as well as a “clear and present danger” to the citizens of Pocatello. Blad is also asking for a timeline for ending the manufacture of the devices in Pocatello. A 14-year-old boy was injured and his family dog killed by an M-44 device that went off in an area behind his home last month. An Animal Plant Health Inspection Service document stated the “unintentional lethal take of a dog is a rare occurrence.” In his letter, Blad said, “one such occurrence is one too many.” Blad said the inherent risks of the M-44 cyanide bombs outweigh any need for the devices, especially those stored and manufactured within city limits. The full text of the mayor’s letter is available here.