[ RadSafe ] Top Pentagon General Richard Myers on DU Munitions

James Salsman james at bovik.org
Sun Apr 17 22:32:46 CEST 2005


This was sent to me today by Jack Cohen-Joppa.  I had not seen it
before.

The most recent research to which it refers, "Depleted Uranium
Aerosol Doses and Risks:  Summary of U.S. Assessments," Battelle
Memorial Institute, October 2004, suffers from the use of solely
open-air burns resulting in no detection of the UO3 oxide species,
about which I have been complaining.

Moreover, the statement, "scientific consensus is that remediation
of sites where DU munitions were used is generally unnecessary,"
does not refer to an actual consensus, but rather to a small
minority viewpoint which is entirely unsupported by the scientific
peer-reviewed medical literature.

Sincerely,
James Salsman

---- forwarded message ----

CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20318-9999

27 January 2005

Ms. Sandy Silver,
President
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
United States Section 1
213 Race Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107-1691

Dear Ms. Silver,

Thank you for the letter concerning depleted uranium (DU). I respect
the league's opinion of opposing the use of DU munitions.  Enclosed
is a detailed response to your organizations's concerns.

Independent researchers worldwide have studied the risks of DU
extensively. The US military is committed to protecting human health
and the environment from scientifically verified hazards associated
with DU.

With best wishes,

s/
RICHARD B. MYERS
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Enclosure:

10 January 2005

INFORMATION PAPER

Subject: Depleted Uranium (DU) Information Summary and Response

1. Purpose. To provide information on DU to the Women's International
League for Peace and Freedom.

2. Key Points

Introduction: DU is a very dense metal (1.7 times as dense as lead)
that is 40 percent less radioactive than naturally occurring uranium.
DU is a critical component in the armor of certain vehicles,
providing superior protection against enemy attack. It is also found
in certain munitions that enable US forces to engage enemy vehicles
such as tanks and armored fighting vehicles at greater
distance--therefore reducing risks from returning fire. Many US
military personnel and their allies are alive today because--in the
Gulf War, Balkan Conflicts and the major combat operations phase of
Operation IRAQI FREEDOM--they were able to engage enemy targets at
longer range with DU munitions. In addition, in some cases, vehicles
survived hits that would have destroyed others without DU armor. The
scientific consensus is that routine handling of undamaged DU
munitions is not hazardous. During fires and explosions, DU can enter
the human body and present some hazards similar to other types of
heavy metals. Extensive information on this topic is available at
http://www.deploymentlink.osd.mil.

* The first request in your letter was to "Halt any further uses of
Depleted Uranium weapons; isolate it as the radioactive waste it is,
in appropriate waste facilities." As noted above, DU armor and
munitions provide an advantage to US forces that saves American and
allied lives in combat. Munitions containing DU are only used when
the threat requires it, such as when confronted with enemy armored
vehicles. Munitions containing DU are carefully controlled and
tracked and are not used unless necessary. For example, munitions
containing DU are not being used in the current stability and support
operations in Iraq or Afghanistan.

* The second request in your letter was to "Provide protective
measures wherever used (in local languages) .and provide for the
cleanup in areas of its use or areas where it was tested." Many
independent organizations have studied extensively most locations
where DU munitions have been used. This includes: (1) the UN
Environmental Programme reports: "Depleted Uranium in Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Post-Conflict Environmental Assessment," "Depleted
Uranium in Serbia and Montenegro" and "Depleted Uranium in Kosovo:
Post-Conflict Environmental Assessment"; and (2) studies by the
United Kingdom Royal Society and by the Health Council of the
Netherlands (references available at Web site listed above). The
scientific consensus is that remediation of sites where DU munitions
were used is generally unnecessary and technically unfeasible. In
some unique cases, limited remediation is called for and will be
accomplished when required by lawful authorities. Regarding training
facilities, the Department of Defense complies with Environmental
Protection Agency requirements for the management on DU waste on
domestic sites and complies with all government-to-government
agreements with allies regarding the use, storage and handling of DU
materials.

* The third request in your letter was to "Require definitive medical
tests by objective specialists, to determine the true extent of
health effects of exposure to DU oxide and derivatives." DOD policies
already comply with this action. Numerous international and US
studies have been accomplished to establish the extent of health
effects of DU. Among these are the World Health Organization April
2001 report entitled "Depleted Uranium: Sources, Exposure and Health
Effects - Full Report," and "Depleted Uranium Aerosol Doses and
Risks: Summary of U.S. Assessments, Battelle Memorial Institute,"
October 2004. The European Parliament and the governments of Sweden,
the Netherlands and the United Kingdom have also studied this
extensively. DOD policy, issued 30 May 2003 for military personnel
exposed to DU either in combat operations or accidents, specifies
detailed medical follow-up procedures for clinicians.

* The fourth request in your letter was to "Provide health care for
all victims of DU contamination." As stated in the previous
paragraph, numerous international and US authorities have studied the
health effects of DU. DOD policy provides for detailed medical
follow-up procedures for clinicians to follow for military members
exposed in combat operations and accidents. Injured enemy combatants,
if captured and while in US custody, are provided medical care at the
same level as provided to US personnel, in accordance with
international law and DOD policy. US military medical personnel
routinely provide medical care to civilians who are accidentally
injured by US munitions, which would include injuries accidentally
sustained from DU munitions.

* Your letter also asserts that DU munitions "constitute a weapon of
mass destruction." The US military employs DU munitions solely to
defeat armored or hardened targets that present a threat to US or
allied forces. It does not use these weapons against noncombatants,
and, by design and by policy, these weapons are not used
indiscriminately. There is no internationally accepted definition of
a "weapon of mass destruction" that includes DU-containing
projectiles used for their intended purpose. DU-containing munitions
do not violate the US-ratified Chemical Weapons Convention
prohibitions against chemical and toxic weapons.

[end]




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