From the Santa Barbara Independent:
Ignoring long-established science on the dangers of lead poisoning in the wild, the federal Environmental Protection Agency has denied a petition to ban toxic lead fishing sinkers that frequently kill loons, swans, cranes, and other wildlife. A coalition of conservation, hunting, and veterinary groups had petitioned EPA in August to ban lead in fishing tackle and in bullets and shot for hunting. (The use of lead ammo is no longer legal in the California condor’s habitat range, but it is legal in most other parts of the nation.)
In August the Center for Biological Diversity, the American Bird Conservancy, and other groups formally petitioned the EPA under the Toxic Substances Control Act to ban lead in bullets and shot for hunting, as well as lead in fishing tackle. The petition referenced nearly 500 peer-reviewed scientific papers illustrating the widespread dangers of lead poisoning form these sources…
Lead is an extremely toxic substance that is dangerous to people and wildlife even at low levels. Exposure can cause a range of health effects, from acute poisoning and death to long-term problems such as reduced reproduction, inhibition of growth, and damage to neurological development…
An estimated 10 million to 20 million birds and other animals die each year from lead poisoning in the United States.
For more information see the above link.