US federal officials have used a Powerscreen impact crusher to pulverise six tons (5.4 tonnes) of illegal elephant ivory.
Organisers of the Ivory Cruch event chose to use a Powerscreen machine because of its ability to reduce seized tusks, ornaments and jewellery to a specific size.
The impact crusher featured a recirculating conveyor to ensure that any material not crushed to specification during the first cycle was passed back through the crusher chamber for a second time. The end product size was less than three quarters of an inch.
Tod Goss, general manager of Powerscreen’s North American facility, said: “Having been able to be part of something so important underlines Powerscreen’s commitment to meeting our customers’ requirements – from a quarry crushing rock to a contractor processing C&D waste, or as in this case, the US government crushing elephant ivory.”
The international trade of ivory was banned in 1989 under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). During the past 24 years, the US government has stockpiled tons of confiscated items.
The Ivory Crush event was held at the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Wildlife Property Repository in Denver. It is hoped that the initiative will serve to discourage poachers and wildlife traffickers from continuing with their harmful activities.
The event took place following the signing of an executive order by US President Barack Obama in July 2013. The initiative called for a new task force to address the issue of trafficking, and allocated $10m to aid Africa’s efforts to beat poaching and the illegal trade of wildlife products.
“Rising demand for ivory is fuelling a renewed and horrific slaughter of elephants in Africa, threatening remaining populations across the continent,” explained secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell. “We will continue to work aggressively with the Department of Justice and law enforcement agencies around the world to investigate, arrest and prosecute criminals who traffic in ivory.
“We encourage other nations to join us in destroying confiscated ivory stockpiles and taking other actions to combat wildlife crime,” concluded Jewell.
