[ RadSafe ] Sen. Cantwell (D-WA) Introduces DU Amendment

[Roger Helbig]

Sen. Cantwell (D-WA) Introduces DU Amendment 
dryeyes Koss Media - June 23, 2006 

On June 15th, Sen. Cantwell introduced a depleted uranium (DU) amendment to the Defense Authorization bill currently under consideration in the Senate. The language of Sen. Cantwell's amendment is identical to that of the McDermott-Shays amendment to the House's version of the Defense Authorization bill.

I have never found the wording of the McDermott Amendment .. I suspect both he and Cantwell have become heavily under the spell of the anti-DU crusaders. (text from National Gulf War Resource Center, which for some reason has become completely enthralled with the Gerrard Matthew story follows)

Roger Helbig


The DU amendment calls for the "Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary for Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Health and Human Services," to conduct a "comprehensive study of the health effects of exposure to depleted uranium munitions on uranium-exposed soldiers and on children of uranium-exposed soldiers."
The language of the study is broad enough to cover exposure to aerosolized DU, which the Department of Defense's "Capstone Study" states is the largest data gap on possible long-term health effects of DU exposure. Here is the full text of the amendment:


dryeyes's diary :: :: 

 

SA 4288. Ms. CANTWELL submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by her to the bill S. 2766, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2007 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe personnel strengths for such fiscal year for the Armed Forces, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows: 
    At the end of subtitle C of title VII, add the following: 
  SEC. 746. STUDY OF HEALTH EFFECTS OF EXPOSURE TO DEPLETED URANIUM. 
    (a) Study.--The Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary for Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall conduct a comprehensive study of the health effects of exposure to depleted uranium munitions on uranium-exposed soldiers and on children of uranium-exposed soldiers who were born after the exposure of the uranium-exposed soldiers to depleted uranium. 
    (b) Uranium-Exposed Soldiers.--In this section, the term ``uranium-exposed soldiers'' means a member or former member of the Armed Forces who handled, came in contact with, or had the likelihood of contact with depleted uranium munitions while on active duty, including members and former members who-- 
    (1) were exposed to smoke from fires resulting from the burning of vehicles containing depleted uranium munitions or fires at depots at which depleted uranium munitions were stored; 
    (2) worked within environments containing depleted uranium dust or residues from depleted uranium munitions; 
    (3) were within a structure or vehicle while it was struck by a depleted uranium munition; 
    (4) climbed on or entered equipment or structures struck by a depleted uranium munition; or 
    (5) were medical personnel who provided initial treatment to members of the Armed Forces described in paragraph (1), (2), (3), or (4). 

 

Sen. Cantwell currently has no co-sponsors for the DU amendment. I'm particularly concerned that the senator doesn't have a Republican co-sponsor. There is a very real possibility that Senate Republicans will table Sen. Cantwell's amendment. Sen. Cantwell is in the midst of a tough re-election fight against wealthy insurance executive Mike McGavick, and Republicans have every reason to deny Sen. Cantwell an issue that would appeal to her antiwar base. 

Even if Sen. Cantwell's amendment is tabled in the Senate, the conference committee that will resolve differences between the House and Senate versions of the Defense Authorization bills could retain the DU amendment. I have been told that the DU amendment only passed the House because the Republican leadership wanted to give Rep. Chris Shays (R-CT) an issue that would help him in his tough re-election fight in a bluish district. Whether the DU amendment survives may have more to do with power politics than good science or concern about the health of American veterans and the Iraqi people.

Sen. Cantwell, in the meantime, is no stranger to the DU issue. On April 13, 2006, the senator sent the following letter to Sec. Rumsfeld:

 


April 13, 2006 
 

The Honorable Donald H. Rumsfeld
Secretary of Defense
1000 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301-1000

Dear Secretary Rumsfeld: 

I am writing to inquire about the status of ongoing research concerning the medical implications of exposure to depleted uranium in munitions and armor. As you know, research on the health effects of exposure to depleted uranium in military occupations is limited. 

I understand that the Department of Defense's (DoD) strategy for addressing depleted uranium medical concerns consists of training and education, clinical treatment and medical surveillance, post-deployment screening, and medical follow-up in conjunction with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Since 1993, the VA has had an ongoing embedded depleted uranium fragment-monitoring program for individuals believed to be the most severely exposed to depleted uranium during the Gulf War. 

I have several questions related to the U.S. Army Capstone Depleted Uranium Aerosols Study released in October 2004 (the "Capstone Study"). The Capstone Study indicated that a primary data gap was the human health effects from acute exposures to depleted uranium aerosols. It recommended that epidemiological studies be conducted on service members with positive depleted uranium bioassay results. (1.) To what extent has this recommendation been implemented? If it has been implemented, which research group is conducting the study and how is the study structured and funded? (2.) Are there any ongoing medical surveillance programs that provide data on possible incidences of pulmonary fibrosis and lung cancer among large numbers of Operation Desert Storm veterans exposed to aerosolized depleted uranium? (3.) In an effort to detect early pulmonary effects, have there been any high-resolution CT scans of the lungs of a large number of Operation Desert Storm veterans exposed 12 or more years ago to aerosolized depleted uranium? The possible impact of depleted uranium contaminated with transuranic elements was outside the scope of the Capstone Study. (4.) Have there been other studies on depleted uranium contaminated with transuranic elements? Are there DoD or other monitoring programs in place to determine if trace amounts of transuranic elements vary among depleted uranium batches used to produce depleted uranium munitions and armor? 

I appreciate your assistance answering these important questions. We owe it to our troops to make sure that we fully understand the science behind this issue. We must ensure that we adequately measure exposure to depleted uranium, study the long-term effects of exposure, and understand its full impact on the health of America's men and women in uniform. 

Sincerely, 
Maria Cantwell

United States Senator


 

As is apparent from the letter, Sen. Cantwell is addressing the data gaps in the Department of Defense's latest DU study, the so-called "Capstone Study."

One week later, Sen. Cantwell sent the following letter to Sec. Rumsfeld on the  United Nations Environment Program's DU-assessment project in Iraq and the U.S. government's failure to provide them with much-needed information:

 

April 20, 2006 
 

The Honorable Donald H. Rumsfeld
Secretary of Defense
1000 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301-1000 

Dear Secretary Rumsfeld: 

I am writing to express my concern about the potential impact on our troops and civilian populations from long-term exposure to depleted uranium particularly in aerosolized form. As you know, the health effects of exposure to depleted uranium have been a subject of debate. Some scientific studies have found that the chemical toxicity of depleted uranium may cause kidney damage and may be carcinogenic depending on concentration and duration of exposure. Physicians have observed birth defects in children born in contaminated areas and raised questions about links to exposure to depleted uranium. There are also concerns about possible soil or ground contamination in areas exposed to significant quantities of depleted uranium. 

The Iraqi Ministry of the Environment has asked the United States Environment Program ("UNEP") to conduct an assessment of potential depleted uranium contamination in Iraq. In February 2006, the UNEP made a formal request to the U.S. Permanent Mission to Geneva for information regarding the use of depleted uranium munitions in Iraq by U.S. troops, during 1991 Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm and the 2003 Operation Iraqi Freedom. The UNEP has already been training and working with Iraqi experts on-the-ground assessing target sites in the Basra region identified by the British Ministry of Defense. However, the UNEP indicates that its request for information from the United States is still pending at this time. 

The United States should make every effort to assist the UNEP with its assessment of potential depleted uranium contamination in Iraq. Moreover, the Bush administration must take this and every opportunity to engage the international community on Iraq. Helping the UNEP with this study would also address a problem that concerns the Iraq people and might generate much needed goodwill. 

Sincerely, 

Maria Cantwell
United States Senator