From Dr. Doug Rokke, former head of Pentagon cleanup of DU [depleted
uranium]- illegal use of depleted uranium:
AR 700-48, DA PAm 700-48, and radiological exposures limits specified
in TB 9-1300-278.
Depleted Uranium Situation
Requires Action By President Bush and Prime Minister Blair
Dr. Doug Rokke, Ph.D. former Director, U.S. Army Depleted Uranium
project
January 4, 2006
While U.S. and British military personnel continue using illegal
uranium munitions- America's and England's own "dirty bombs" U.S. Army,
U.S. Department of Energy, and U.S. Department of Defense officials
continue to deny that there are any adverse health and environmental
effects as a consequence of the manufacture, testing, and/or use of
uranium munitions to avoid liability for the willful and illegal
dispersal of a radioactive toxic material - depleted uranium. They
arrogantly refuse to comply with their own regulations, orders, and
directives that require United States Department of Defense officials
to provide prompt and effective medical care "all" exposed individuals
[Medical Management of Unusual Depleted Uranium Casualties, DOD,
Pentagon, 10/14/93, Medical Management of Army personnel Exposed to
Depleted Uranium (DU) Headquarters, U.S. Army Medical Command 29 April
2004), and section 2-5 of AR 70-48]. They also refuse to clean up
dispersed radioactive Contamination as required by Army Regulation- AR
700-48:
"Management of Equipment Contaminated With Depleted Uranium or
Radioactive Commodities" (Headquarters, Department Of The Army,
Washington, D.C., September 2002) and U.S. Army Technical
Bulletin- TB 9-1300-278: "Guidelines For Safe Response To
Handling, Storage, And Transportation Accidents Involving Army Tank
Munitions Or Armor Which Contain Depleted Uranium" (Headquarters,
Department Of The Army, Washington, D.C., JULY 1996).
Specifically section 2-4 of United States Army Regulation-AR 700-48
dated September 16, 2002 requires that:
(1) "Military personnel "identify, segregate, isolate, secure,
and label all RCE" (radiologically contaminated equipment).
(2) "Procedures to minimize the spread of radioactivity will be
implemented as soon as possible."
(3) "Radioactive material and waste will not be locally disposed
of through burial, submersion, incineration, destruction in
place, or abandonment" and
(4) "All equipment, to include captured or combat RCE, will be
surveyed, packaged, retrograded, decontaminated and released IAW
Technical Bulletin 9-1300-278, DA PAM 700-48" (Note: Maximum exposure
limits are specified in Appendix F).
The previous and current use of uranium weapons, the release of
radioactive components in destroyed U.S. and foreign military
equipment, and releases of industrial, medical, research facility
radioactive materials have resulted in unacceptable exposures.
Therefore, decontamination must be completed as required by U.S. Army
Regulation 700-48 and should include releases of all radioactive
materials resulting from military operations. The extent of
adverse health and environmental effects of uranium weapons
contamination is not limited to combat zones but includes facilities
and sites where uranium weapons were manufactured or tested including
Vieques; Puerto Rico; Colonie, New York; Concord, MA; and Jefferson
Proving Grounds, Indiana.
Therefore medical care must be provided by the United States Department
of Defense officials to all individuals affected by the manufacturing,
testing, and/or use of uranium munitions. Thorough environmental
remediation also must be completed without further delay. I am
amazed that fourteen years after was asked to clean up the initial DU
mess from Gulf War 1 and over ten years since I finished the depleted
uranium project that United States Department of Defense officials and
others still attempt to justify uranium munitions use while ignoring
mandatory requirements. I am dismayed that Department of Defense
and Department of Energy officials and representatives continue
personal attacks aimed to silence or discredit those of us who are
demanding that medical care be provided to all DU casualties and that
environmental remediation is completed in compliance with U.S. Army
Regulation 700-48. But beyond the ignored mandatory actions the
willful dispersal of tons of solid radioactive and chemically toxic
waste in the form of uranium munitions is illegal
(http://www.traprockpeace.org/karen_parker_du_illegality.pdf)
and just does not even pass the common sense test and according to the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, DHS, is a dirty bomb. DHS issued
"dirty bomb" response guidelines, http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/fr-cont.html
, on January 3, 2006 for incidents within the United States but ignore
DOD use of uranium weapons and existing DOD regulations. These
guidelines specifically state that:
"Characteristics of RDD and IND Incidents: A radiological incident is
defined as an event or series of events, deliberate or accidental,
leading to the release, or potential release, into the environment of
radioactive material in sufficient quantity to warrant consideration of
protective actions. Use of an RDD or IND is an act of terror that
produces a radiological incident."
Thus the use of uranium munitions is "an act or terror" as defined by
DHS. Finally continued compliance with the infamous March 1991 Los
Alamos Memorandum that was issued to ensure continued use of uranium
munitions can not be justified.
In conclusion: the President of the United States-George W. Bush and
The Prime Minister of Great Britain-Tony Blair must acknowledge and
accept responsibility for willful use of illegal uranium munitions-
their own "dirty bombs"- resulting in adverse health and environmental
effects.
President Bush and Prime Minister Blair also should order:
1. medical care for all casualties,
2. thorough environmental remediation,
3. immediate cessation of retaliation against all of us who demand
compliance with medical care and environmental remediation requirements,
4. and stop the already illegal the use (UN finding) of depleted
uranium munitions.
