EPA restricts rat poisons
The government imposed new restrictions Thursday on some of the biggest-selling rat poisons, citing the danger they pose to children, pets and wildlife.
Beginning in October 2009, many rat poisons sold in retail outlets will have to be packaged in dispensers, called bait stations, that cannot be easily tampered with by children and pets. Loose bait such as pellets will be taken off the market for home use.
The Environmental Protection Agency had proposed tougher regulations 16 months ago that would have required uniform tamperproof packaging for the rat poisons, but the pesticide industry, public housing authorities and others complained about the cost. Manufacturers will now be allowed to market bait stations with different degrees of tamper resistance.
“With our decision, we are achieving the same goals,” said Steven Bradbury, who directs pesticide reviews by the agency.
Rat poisons subject to the new ruling are marketed under the brand names d-CON, Eraze, Havoc, Hawk, Jaguar, Just One Bite, Ramik, Rampage, Real-Kill, Tom Cat and Victor.
EPA said the new requirements will also reduce deaths to birds and other wildlife from eating poisoned rats.
Four rodenticides that pose the greatest risk to wild animals will no longer be sold in retail outlets. Professional pesticide applicators and ranchers will still be able to buy them for application around barns and other agricultural buildings.
New York
Bear Stearns buyout OK’d
Bear Stearns Cos. shareholders on Thursday approved JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s $2.2 billion buyout of the investment bank whose wagers on subprime mortgages made it the largest corporate casualty of the global credit crisis.
Bear Stearns officially becomes part of JPMorgan Chase on Friday, after a widely anticipated “yes” vote that won with 84 percent of the vote Thursday morning at Bear Stearns’ midtown Manhattan headquarters.
All told, the deal was worth about $2.3 billion. JPMorgan is spending $1.4 billion for the firm itself, and spent an additional $900 million over the past month-and-a-half buying up Bear Stearns stock to guarantee the deal would go through.
Atlantic City, N.J.
Casino selling for $316 million
Atlantic City’s Trump Marina Hotel Casino is being sold for $316 million to a New York company that plans to rename it “Margaritaville.”
Coastal Marina LLC, an affiliate of Coastal Development LLC, said Thursday it is buying the casino from Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc., the casino company founded by real estate magnate Donald Trump.
After the sale closes in six to nine months, Trump Entertainment will have two remaining casinos in Atlantic City: The Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort, and Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino.
From wire reports