bobbyw24
10-11-2009, 07:35 AM
Lawmakers move to protect troops from toxic materials
By Roxana Tiron - 10/11/09 08:11 AM ET
Defense authorizers are prohibiting the use of uncovered pits to burn waste in conflict zones.
The move comes after more than 400 people who served in Iraq and Afghanistan said they got sick from exposure to toxic materials.
Most large U.S. military installations in Iraq and Afghanistan have uncovered pits to dispose of and burn waste.
However, one such giant pit at the largest base in Iraq has garnered the most attention, as critics fear that soldiers, contractors and Iraqis have been exposed to cancer-causing dioxins, arsenic, carbon monoxide and hazardous medical waste.
Several lawsuits have been filed across the country against KBR Inc., a former subsidiary of Halliburton, for wrongful death and toxic exposure. KBR operates the pits in the war zones. Former Vice President Dick Cheney was Halliburton’s CEO before he became President Bush’s running mate in 2000.
Plaintiffs want KBR to cover the costs of medical monitoring, future medical expenses and other damages. KBR has denied any liability.
The 2010 defense authorization bill contains provisions that would prohibit the use of uncovered pits to dispose of hazardous materials unless the Secretary of Defense sees no alternative disposal method. The provisions in the bill don’t outright ban the use of uncovered pits, but seek to restrict their use and add oversight.
The Secretary of Defense, however, has to justify to lawmakers why there is no alternative to the use
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/62545-lawmakers-move-to-protect-troops-from-toxic-materials
By Roxana Tiron - 10/11/09 08:11 AM ET
Defense authorizers are prohibiting the use of uncovered pits to burn waste in conflict zones.
The move comes after more than 400 people who served in Iraq and Afghanistan said they got sick from exposure to toxic materials.
Most large U.S. military installations in Iraq and Afghanistan have uncovered pits to dispose of and burn waste.
However, one such giant pit at the largest base in Iraq has garnered the most attention, as critics fear that soldiers, contractors and Iraqis have been exposed to cancer-causing dioxins, arsenic, carbon monoxide and hazardous medical waste.
Several lawsuits have been filed across the country against KBR Inc., a former subsidiary of Halliburton, for wrongful death and toxic exposure. KBR operates the pits in the war zones. Former Vice President Dick Cheney was Halliburton’s CEO before he became President Bush’s running mate in 2000.
Plaintiffs want KBR to cover the costs of medical monitoring, future medical expenses and other damages. KBR has denied any liability.
The 2010 defense authorization bill contains provisions that would prohibit the use of uncovered pits to dispose of hazardous materials unless the Secretary of Defense sees no alternative disposal method. The provisions in the bill don’t outright ban the use of uncovered pits, but seek to restrict their use and add oversight.
The Secretary of Defense, however, has to justify to lawmakers why there is no alternative to the use
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/62545-lawmakers-move-to-protect-troops-from-toxic-materials