February 28, 2006 7:42 PM

HAVE DU WILL TRAVEL

‘There is exposure, but exposure doesn’t mean that it’s a threat.’

Ann Ham works in public affairs, U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine.

An Interview With Ann Ham

ANN HAM: I know you are on a search for information about depleted uranium and the heath effects.

ICONOCLAST: Right. What prompted this is a story that came out in the London Times last Sunday. Are you familiar with that, about the study that Chris Busby did?

ANN HAM: I honestly am not. There are a lot of people doing different studies about depleted uranium.

ICONOCLAST: Well, apparently, they were able to come up with some monitoring numbers....

HAM: Really low, low levels?

ICONOCLAST: There was a spike in the radiation in the days....

HAM: Oh, in a certain area.

ICONOCLAST: There at Aldermaston...

HAM: It wasn’t right in London, was it?

ICONOCLAST: I don’t know, I don’t have a map in front of me.

HAM: Yes, I did see that, but I think they determined, from what I read in the newspaper, that it was probably the content of the soil and someone had assumed that it had come through the air from...

ICONOCLAST: Shock and awe?

HAM: Yeah, but I don’t remember all the details.

ICONOCLAST: Of course, I have a copy of that report, but also I have a copy of that article that was published in the London Times and a guy named Brian Spratt who’s with the British Royal Society said that the uranium could have come from natural uranium of soil kicked up by shock and awe. That would indicate that it did travel. What I am wondering is regarding depleted uranium there in Iraq, in the testing of the troops, is that being done on a regular basis. Is that mandatory?

HAM: I don’t think it’s mandatory anywhere, but the process is when soldiers, all troops, redeploy, or come back from deployment in southwest Asia they are required to fill out a post-deployment health assessment form. It asks many question about your health, but it does have a whole series of places to bubble-in: do you think you might have been exposed to the following. It’s under exposures. And there they list whatever they think they’ve been exposed to and “other” for any other concerns. Also, after they complete this form, then the next thing they do is see a health-care professional. This could be a doctor. It would usually be a doctor, a health-care provider. This is a requirement. It’s been a requirement for at least two years now, that they complete this form and turn in their concerns about exposures.

When anyone comes back, if they have concerns about DU exposure, they absolutely can be tested. The Army will test them.

ICONOCLAST: And the Army pays for it?

HAM: Yes. Or the military pays for it. The DoD pays for it. And, as you know, some states now, I don’t know how they’re paying for it, but, I believe it’s Louisiana, uhm...

ICONOCLAST: Connecticut?

HAM: Connecticut, and New York is working to do it, to provide testing for all. And, you know, I’m really not clear on whether it’s military who deploy from those bases in those states or if it’s from people who are native of that state.

ICONOCLAST: I believe it’s national guardsmen.

HAM: I think you’re right. So, they would belong to the state. I’m not sure who is doing that testing. I don’t think we’ve been able to figure that out.

ICONOCLAST: It’s paid for by the federal govenment?

HAM: I don’t think so. I would have to dig deeper to find that. I don’t think I know who’s paying for it. I haven’t followed the Congressional proceedings. I know New York is pushing to do this right now. I don’t know how they are getting their funding to do it.

ICONOCLAST: Are you familiar with U.S. Army regulation 700-48, which mandates the immediate thorough environmental remediation of DU?

HAM: I’m not.

ICONOCLAST: I believe that was approved around the first Gulf war.

HAM: Is it about remediation about the terrority we’re in?

ICONOCLAST: Bascially that whenever depleted uranium munitions are used, that clean-up follows.

HAM: Are you sure that it was depleted uranium?

ICONOCLAST: I believe it was.

HAM: And not simply uranium?

ICONOCLAST: I believe it was depleted uranium. Let’s say a soldier doesn’t sign off that he was exposed. And then he gets back to the states and health problems do occur that would indicate exposure. What are his options at that point?

HAM: As far as I know, the form is not a closed loop. I believe they could express concern and they could be tested. Is that what you’re asking?

ICONOCLAST: Uh, huh.

HAM: I know they can be tested, because I’m thinking of the national guard in New York.

ICONOCLAST: Whenever they fill the form out, are they educated as to what the possibilities of exposure are?

HAM: No. No. They’re briefed on all kinds of medical threats. They get a medical threat briefing as soon as they are there or before they deploy and they are told about washing their hands and that kind of thing, but I don’t know if anyone could speak on if every single soldier, airman, navy, got a briefing on that. I can’t guarantee that happens.

ICONOCLAST: Do you have any statistics as to the number of soldiers that do claim that they were perhaps exposed to depleted uranium?

HAM: No, I don’t.

ICONOCLAST: Do you know where I would find those?

HAM: I would have to ask around. I can ask my health physics people. They might have a source for that. They’ve been working on this and other materials a long time.

ICONOCLAST: From a health-care standpoint, what position does your organization take on depleted uranium? Do you think it’s a threat?

HAM: No. No. It’s a threat as a weapon.

ICONOCLAST: I mean for health.

HAM: No. No. I do not.

ICONOCLAST: So you don’t feel that there is exposure due to depleted uranium?

HAM: There is exposure, but exposure doesn’t mean that it’s a threat. I mean, I’m exposed to lots of things, like bad perfume, but it’s not a threat.

ICONOCLAST: Do you know how many soldiers have been treated.

HAM: No, no. I don’t. Once again, I’ll have to check other sources. First of all, we aren’t a clearinghouse for all soldiers, DoD, service members, either before they deploy or after they deploy.

ICONOCLAST: Is there a clearinghouse anywhere?

HAM: I’ll have to ask and find out. I don’t know that.