Grants Pass, Ore. -- The U.S. Forest Service violated federal environmental laws when it used a toxic fire retardant that killed thousands of fish in streams, a judge ruled. In a decision released Tuesday, District Judge Donald W. Molloy said the agency did not comply with the National Environmental Policy Act when it skipped an open public process to examine the fire retardant's effects on the environment. Molloy also said the agency's actions appeared to be politically motivated, though he did not elaborate. Environmentalists and Democrats have complained the Bush administration goals of repealing environmental laws affect Forest Service decisions....
