Ore. Guard tells of possible chemical exposure (of 433 soldiers while serving in Iraq)

[sabra]

Source: Army Times

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Oregon National Guard has written to 433 of its soldiers to say they may have been exposed to a toxic, carcinogenic chemical at an Iraqi water pumping plant shortly after the war began.

Guard spokesman Maj. Mike Braibish said three companies of the 162nd Infantry Battalion were deployed in Kuwait, and the troops were sent, about 50 at a time, into Iraq to escort employees of Houston-based KBR, which was inspecting oil facilities.

He said no symptoms indicating exposure have been reported to the Oregon Guard.

“That doesn’t mean they won’t be,” Braibish said Wednesday. “Some may have been treated by the Veterans Administration, and we don’t know about it. It’s a possibility.”

...

He said KBR did not report concentration levels and was not required to do so in its contract.

Read more: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/02/ap_oregon_guard_chemicals_021109/

[Mari333]

1. ah KBR again..killing the troops..who are the terrorists again? nt

[sabra]

2. the numbers of troops who are dead or sick because of them is staggering

on top of all the skimming they did with their contracts :mad:

[Ian David]

3. And Cheney would say, "So?"

[Javaman]

4. and yet nothing is done about this...

Baghdad Officials Warn of Pollution Risk

http://www.iwpr.net/index.php?apc_state=hen&s=o&o=p=icr&l=EN&s=f&o=244747

With no one to collect it, residents say they’ve no option but to burn household waste themselves.

By Haider al-Moosawi and Ali Marzook in Baghdad (ICR No. 129, 22-Jun-05)

The collapse of garbage-collection services has led to a dangerous increase in the amount of hazardous materials being burned on the capital’s streets.

Baghdad health officials are now warning residents not to burn household rubbish as it is causing pollution and other health hazards.

Since the fall of the Saddam regime, municipal services, such as garbage collection, have struggled because of staffing and financial problems, prompting residents to dispose of waste themselves.

And as evidence of the lawlessness that plagues Iraq, some residents who have tried to stop people from burning garbage have been shot or received death threats.

[sabra]

5. well KBR did just get a new contract from the DOD... so I guess things are being done

:sarcasm: