Depleted Uranium: ......and if this were going on in Brownwood today,
would the groups doing the challenging for accountability be labled WACKOS over the talk radio airwaves ? You can count on that and then they would change the topic post haste !
Vol. 11, Issue 6 - Friday, January 6, 2006
GROUPS ACCUSE ARMY OF MISLEADING PUBLIC
Uranium revelation upsets isle activists
Army e-mails detailing the presence of spent metal at Schofield are troubling, critics say
By Rosemarie Bernardo
rbernardo@starbulletin.com
SEVERAL environmental and native Hawaiian groups are accusing the Army of misleading the public after the groups discovered that a heavy metal known as depleted uranium was recovered at Schofield Barracks' range complex.
During a news conference yesterday, the groups said the Army has repeatedly assured the public that the heavy metal was never used in Hawaii.
"These recent revelations, then, indicate that the Army is either unaware of its DU (depleted uranium) and chemical weapons use or has intentionally misled the public. Both possibilities are deeply troubling," said Kyle Kajihiro, program director of the American Friends Service Committee and member of DMZ-Hawaii/Aloha Aina.
Some members of the various groups read about the depleted uranium in e-mails detailing documents submitted in federal court in December, showing that heavy metals were found at Schofield Barracks' range complex area during clearing efforts.
The e-mail was submitted as part of an ongoing discovery process. At the end of November, attorneys representing the 25th Infantry Division filed a motion in federal court to amend a 2001 settlement so soldiers can resume live-fire training at Makua Valley. The motion is scheduled to be heard Monday.
URANIUM AT SCHOFIELD
The clearing was being done to prepare for the expansion of additional training space and the construction of a rifle and pistol range for a new Stryker brigade combat team.
Depleted uranium is a byproduct of radioactive enriched uranium and has been used by the U.S. military in bullets and other weapons designed to pierce armor. Some researchers suspect exposure to depleted uranium might have caused chronic fatigue and other symptoms in veterans of the first Gulf War, but there is no conclusive evidence it has.
In a letter sent yesterday to Maj. Gen. Benjamin Mixon, commanding general of the 25th Infantry Division, Kajihiro wrote that several groups were outraged by the use of the uranium, which they say poses a public health hazard even in small amounts.
During community discussion on the Stryker Brigade environmental impact statement in 2004, Army officials assured the public that depleted uranium was never used in Hawaii, Kajihiro said.
Fifteen tail assemblies from spotting rounds made of D-38 uranium alloy, also called depleted uranium, were recovered in August by Zapata Engineering, a contractor hired by the military to clear the Schofield Barracks' range impact area of unexploded ordnance and scrap metal, according to a news release from the 25th Infantry Division.
In an e-mail dated Sept. 19, a contractor told an Army official at Schofield: "We have found much that we did not expect, including recent find of depleted uranium. We are pulling tons of frag and scrap out of the craters in the western area to the point where it has basically turned into a manual sifting operation. Had this not been a CWM site, we would have moved mechanical sifters in about 5 weeks ago but the danger is just too high."
Dr. Fred Dodge, Waianae resident and member of Malama Makua, said, "DU is a heavy metal similar to lead. It can be toxic particularly to the kidneys," and could cause lung cancer if the metal in dust form is inhaled.
But U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii officials said the recovered depleted uranium has low-level radioactivity and does not pose a threat to the public.
The tail assemblies are about 4 inches in length and an inch in diameter. Army officials said they are from subcomponent remnants from training rounds associated with an obsolete weapon system that was on Oahu in the 1960s.
"The Army has never intentionally misled the public concerning the presence of DU on Army installations in Hawaii. This is an isolated incident and should not be considered as an attempt to misinform the public," Col. Howard Killian, commander of the U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii, said in a written statement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Article URL: http://starbulletin.com/2006/01/06/news/story06.html
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CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
Stop This Senseless Bombing
BY JUAN ANDRADE
June 24, 2001
Copyright © 2001 CHICAGO SUN-TIMES. All Rights Reserved.
When I was a little boy growing up in the small town of Brownwood, located deep in the heart of Texas, kids usually made toys to play with or searched for things that looked like toys with which to play. In retrospect I would say we were extremely creative. Not everything worked. One day my oldest brother Daniel got the bright idea to build a wooden boat. We weighed it down so much we could hardly carry it. As soon as the boat hit the water it sank so fast we jumped in just to ride it down to the bottom.
One day we learned a hard lesson that not everything we found was a toy. A friend of mine, Robert Gill, found an object that somehow had ended up in his backyard. The object appeared to be a metal canister, and little Robert took a hammer and tried to take it apart by pounding just below the tip. He never got to see what was inside. A blow from the hammer struck the canister in just the right spot and Robert's body was blown to bits. He had been playing with a bomb.
How could this happen? The answer was Camp Bowie, located just outside our city limits and home to an armored division during World War II. Central Texas was ideal for tank and other heavy armored equipment training. The area is sparsely populated and the nearest towns were 40 to 50 miles away. For nearly 50 years I've often wondered if anyone thought about how the countless number of unexploded bombs could endanger the lives and safety of innocent civilians later, especially little ones like Robert.
As far as I'm concerned, Vieques Island is today's Camp Bowie, only worse. Puerto Ricans who live on the island say that the island is littered with thousands of unexploded bombs dropped on them from Navy planes. The U.S. Navy has been using Vieques, population 9,300, as a practice bombing range for 60 years. The statistics are staggering. According to Village Voice reporter Lenora Todaro, the Navy dropped 20,000 pounds of live explosives, including napalm, on Vieques in 1994. The Navy has admitted that in 1998 it dropped 273 radioactive depleted uranium shells on Vieques and accidentally dropped 263 more in 1999. They are believed to contribute to the development of cancer and leukemia, and only 56 were retrieved. The Navy has also admitted to discharging environmental pollutants at a percentage well above the legal limit: arsenic, 6.6 percent; lead, 105 percent, and cadmium, 240 percent. The incidence of cancer, scleroderma, lupus, thyroid deficiencies, and asthma is far higher on Vieques than on the Puerto Rican mainland. What is even more distressing is that there is not a single hospital on Vieques.
The continued bombing of Vieques is senseless and should be stopped immediately. The Clinton administration agreed to accept the results of a vote by Viequenses on whether or not to allow the bombing to continue in November 2003. That was dumb. Of course they are going to vote to stop the bombing. But not being one to be out-dumbed, now President Bush has unilaterally decided to order the Navy to stop bombing Vieques, also in November 2003.
What's with 2003 anyway? The speculation is that Bush is afraid that Vieques will turn Puerto Rican voters against his brother, who is seeking re-election as governor of Florida next year. The experts are also saying that Bush (the president) must improve on his 35 percent share of the Latino vote. Good luck. Next to African Americans, Puerto Ricans are the most loyal Democrats of all ethnic or racial minority groups in America. Trust me: It is no coincidence that 57 African American and Hispanic members of Congress, led by Illinois Rep. Luis Gutierrez, have called on the president to stop the bombing now.
One last thing. What was even more incredible was Bush's reasoning for ordering the bombing to cease in 2003. ''These people are our friends and neighbors, and they don't want us there,'' he said. Friends and neighbors? Good God, Puerto Ricans are citizens of the United States! We have occupied their land for 101 years. We made them U.S. citizens in 1917. But never in 100 years have we treated Puerto Ricans with the dignity and respect they deserve. The status of Puerto Rico can be decided later, but protracted colonialism should not be an option. For starters, we should stop the bombing immediately if not sooner.
Juan Andrade is president of the U.S. Hispanic Leadership Institute, a national organization based in Chicago.
source: http://www.puertorico-herald.org/issues/2001/vol5n26/StopSenselessBomb-en.shtml
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Reporter-News Archives
Tuesday, January 26, 1999
Live WWII shell found in Brownwood
BROWNWOOD -- A World War II-era shell found by children in the backyard of a Brownwood home was safely detonated by a Fort Hood bomb squad.
The 22-inch long, 5-inch diameter shell was found Saturday evening in the 1000 block of Avenue C. Brownwood police called Fort Hood officials.
The bomb squad took the shell to Camp Bowie Military Reservation, where it was detonated Sunday, police said. The explosion could be heard across southern Brownwood, prompting a number of residents to call 911.
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Star-Telegram | 09/30/2003 | LETHAL LEGACY
... which emitted a puff of smoke to show where the bombs hit, Condike ... The other Texas
sites are Camp Barkley in Abilene, Camp Bowie in Brownwood, Camp Howze in ...
www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/6896369.htm - 41k - Supplemental Result - Cached - Similar pages
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Texas Monthly August 2001: Bomb Scare
... He calmly discussed the potential for unexploded bombs while alarmed ... two high-priority
areas in Texas—the former Camp Bowie, near Brownwood, and the ...
www.texasmonthly.com/mag/issues/2001-08-01/ reporter2.php?click_code=3c892459190533f05bea5235897b333e - 30k - Supplemental Result - Cached - Similar pages
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Region 6: South Central
Serving Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Texas and 65 Tribes
EPA Home > Region 6 > Base Closures > EPA Innovates to Meet Environmental Challenge
In the News - Base Closures
EPA Innovates to Meet Environmental Challenge
EPA is developing partnerships, fostering new ideas and technologies, and promoting public participation to address environmental concerns at a growing number of closed military facilities.
As military bases are closing nationwide, property is being returned to local communities for economic development. In the EPA’s south central region, the list includes Carswell, Bergstrom, Kelly and Reese Air Force bases, Dallas Naval Air Station and Red River Army Depot in Texas, England Air Force Base in Louisiana, the Army’s Fort Chafee and Eaker Air Force Base in Arkansas, and Fort Wingate Army Depot in New Mexico.
In the same five states, add over 900 formerly used defense sites (also known as FUDS) once owned by the Department of Defense, many of which are still polluted. EPA and its local, state and federal partners have plenty of work to do.
Many Facilities Are Polluted
After years of Cold War activities, when environmental issues took a back seat to national security, some closing bases and former defense sites were left with environmental problems. Michael Overbay, a senior project officer at EPA-Dallas, says some sites are polluted with hazardous waste, unexploded bombs and artillery shells, and a variety of toxic materials, including radioactive waste. Sometimes, ground water in the area may be polluted.
But Overbay also says EPA and the military services are acting to address the problem. In fact, the south central EPA region is the first in the nation to complete an independent inventory and screening of its former defense sites. The agency currently is working with the states and the military services to prioritize for cleanup approximately 40% of sites that have some type of pollution problem.
Innovations and Partnerships
By getting communities involved, local partnerships are being created that lead to faster site assessments, cleanups and redevelopment. Base cleanup teams and restoration advisory boards have led to quick successes like Bergstrom and England Air Force bases.
Other fast-track sites include:
• McGregor Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant in Texas near Waco - The Navy is now cleaning up the property so it can be turned over to the city of McGregor for use as an industrial park. Pollution includes perchlorate, a chemical used in rocket fuel and explosives that can contaminate water. EPA, the state and the Navy are working together to ensure all drinking water sources in the area are protected.
• Brooks Air Force Base in San Antonio - Congress authorized a special City-Base Pilot Project, which allows Brooks to give land to the city of San Antonio even though the Air Force continues to operate there. Mostly office parks are involved, which the city can redevelop. EPA and Texas have worked together to speed up the review process. Final transfer of the land took place in July.
• Camp Bowie in Brownwood, Texas - The former World War II Army training camp closed in 1946. A medical center, industries, parks and a sports complex now are located on portions of the site. But other parts of the 123,000-acre site still may pose a risk from unexploded artillery shells. EPA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and their partners are using local historical records to limit the scope of the investigation. Work began this spring.
• Southwestern Proving Ground near Hope, Arkansas. - The Army used the site from 1942 to 1945 to test small arms ammo, mortars, rockets, grenades, and up to 500-pound bombs. Unexploded ordnance remains dangerous despite being almost 60 years old. In the past few years more than 8,000 explosives have been removed, much of it from areas near homes. New technology developed at the site will help workers at other sites find explosives faster.
Cleanups also are progressing well at other former defense sites like Walker Air Force Base near Roswell, New Mexico, and Camp Swift at Bastrop, Texas. Members of the local Redevelopment Advisory Board at Roswell tell the Army Corps of Engineers they are especially pleased with recent cleanup progress.
Progress at cleaning up closed bases and former military sites depends on priorities and money. So many sites are polluted, cleanups will take many millions of dollars. So sites must be prioritized according to risk to the public and prospects for redevelopment to help the community.
Most of the sites drew little attention for almost half a century. Now, the Corps of Engineers, EPA, and the states are joining forces to focus attention on the high priority sites.
With limited funding for cleanups, the future challenge is enormous. But Overbay believes, by strengthening existing partnerships, further streamlining cleanups, and getting more return on each dollar spent, the partners will meet the challenge.
source: http://www.epa.gov/Arkansas/6xa/base_innovates.htm
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Brownwood SUPERFUND sites:
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BROWNWOOD ADAMS CHEMICAL AND WEED CONTROL W COMMERCE ST(HWY 84/67) TXD981058878
BROWNWOOD ADAMS FLYING SERVICE BOWIE VILLAGE #53 TXD981047244
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BROWNWOOD BIG RIG FERTILIZER, INC E HWY 377, 2.5 MI E FM 2525 TXD040930331
BROWNWOOD BROWNWOOD CITY OF LDF-TX BRICK CO. APPX 5 MI SW ON INDIAN CRK RD TXD980697742
SITE
BROWNWOOD BROWNWOOD GAS & ELECTRIC CO. CORNER OF SHARP & SAN JACINTO TXD981916513
BROWNWOOD CAMP BOWIE INDUSTRIAL PARK LANDFILL END OF HOOVER ST TXD980696504
BROWNWOOD PHILLIPS DRISCO PIPE INC CAMP BOWIE RD TXD047102868
BROWNWOOD POTTERDS INDUSTRIES, INC. 2 MI W OF HWY 279 ON CITY RD 102
source: Jonathan Campbell, Health Consultant
Natural Therapies for Chronic Illness & Health Maintenance
http://www.cqs.com/super_tx.htm
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Note from Steve, this is an example of what the Partisan Hacks on local talk radio cannot change nor stop. Independent thinkers of all stripes often work together on enviromental issues. Below is an example of such work going on. I stand in solidarity with Independent thinkers and also loved living and working in Puerto Rico ! Enviromental issues are universal and personal !
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The Hartford Courant
A Victory For Grass-Roots Activism On Vieques
By Juan Figueroa
May 30, 2003
Copyright © 2003 The Hartford Courant. All rights reserved.
The bombing of Vieques, Puerto Rico, has ended. Attempts to stop the bombing began immediately after the United States expropriated two-thirds of the fully inhabited Puerto Rican island in the 1940s to use for target practice by the U.S. Navy and its allies.
The Navy's withdrawal this month was accomplished, in part, by the first successful effort to link an island injustice with stateside local grass-roots activism and the Puerto Rican/Latino leadership here. This successful link could serve as a model for handling future island issues. A good place to retest the model is with the cleanup of Vieques and securing reparations for its residents.
``Todo Puerto Rico Con Vieques'' was the broad-based island coalition that brought together estadistas, independentistas and estadolibristas seeking an end to the bombing -- a small miracle in itself given the unforgiving nature of partisan politics in Puerto Rico.
The coalition also brought together the diverse religious and civic sectors on the island. This effort was replicated in the states in places with high concentrations of Puerto Ricans. ``Todo'' coalitions were organized in Connecticut and other states. These coalitions were critical in providing effective grass-roots activism, mobilizing hundreds of thousands of people who, in turn, were successful at educating the press, politicians and key allies in the states.
These coalitions complimented a very determined Sila Maria Calder0n, governor of Puerto Rico, and her efforts to persuade the White House and Congress to stop the bombing of Vieques. More important, however, these local U.S. efforts engaged key stateside Puerto Rican leaders and U.S. institutions.
The most significant individual to join this effort was Dennis Rivera, president of the very powerful health care workers union in New York, Local 1199. The issue was popular with his members (I rode on a packed 1199 bus to a D.C. demonstration) and with the many Puerto Rican voters that Rivera has registered to vote over the years.
Rivera was instrumental in mobilizing a range of influential stakeholders, including two U.S. presidents (Clinton and Bush) as well as scores of members of Congress. He used his considerable political capital with President Clinton (who set a framework for the Navy's departure) and was instrumental in recruiting New York Gov. George Pataki, who, in turn, proved a key influence with the Bush White House.
Rivera also recruited well-known environmental lawyer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the U.S.-based Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund to sue the Navy. He engaged civil rights leader the Rev. Jesse Jackson (whose wife, Jacqueline, was arrested in Vieques and served eight days of a 10- day prison sentence for ``trespassing'' in Vieques to protest the Navy bombings) and other key African American leaders.
Rivera and Kennedy themselves served 30 days in a federal penitentiary in Puerto Rico for peaceful acts of civil disobedience. They joined scores of doctors, lawyers, farmers, fishermen, teachers, politicians and religious leaders who were also arrested for peaceful acts of civil disobedience.
The cumulative effect of this joint U.S. and island activism and consequent press coverage elevated Vieques to cause celebre status in the United States and kept the pressure on the Navy. None of this was possible but for the courage of the people of Vieques and the many Puerto Ricans who, over the years, joined their cause.
The fishermen of Vieques, in particular, played a key role in this effort and in the events that followed the April 19, 1999, accidental killing of a civilian, Roberto Sanes Rodriquez, by an errant Navy bomb in Vieques. Those individuals sacrificed much at a time when the issue was not well-known outside Puerto Rico.
Now that the bombing has ended, it is time to repair the damage inflicted upon the people of Vieques and their environment. It is not only fair but consistent with reparations the U.S. military has made to victims of other military exercises such as nuclear testing. This will require a great deal of money and political will, and the Pentagon should assume full responsibility. (Parts of the island are heavily contaminated, and its residents are 27 percent more likely to have cancer.) The Kennedy/PRLDEF lawsuit could serve as the insurance policy for this to happen.
Juan A. Figueroa is president of the Anthem Foundation, a health care foundation based in New Haven. His column appears every month.
source: http://www.puertorico-herald.org/issues/2003/vol7n27/VicGrRtsVq-en.shtml
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