Sen. Cantwell Sends Letter to Rumsfeld on Depleted Uranium
I'm pleased to announce that today Senator Maria Cantwell sent a letter to Secretary Rumsfeld on the question of medical research on servicemembers exposed to depleted uranium (DU) aerosols.
The core of the letter relied on questions that Dr. Tim Takaro and I framed after a month-long examination of the Department of Defense's so-called "Capstone Study." I have been assured that Sen. Cantwell's commitment to this issue will extend beyond this letter. I hope to have more news in the near future. While this letter is not the end of the DU issue, it is an accomplishment that comes after a great deal of work. The list of people who deserve public thanks for this effort is too long to put into a blog. I have thanked them in personal email. But I would like to recognize Dr. Tim Takaro of Simon Frazier University, without whose help this letter would not have been possible. In addition, I would like to express my deep gratitude to Sen. Cantwell for demonstrating her commitment to this important issue.
Here it is:
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
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