More News From the US

In Tennessee: DU munitions workers who went out on strike in 1981 due to high levels of DU dust in the workplace finally won their case in court. A September 1999 decision acknowledged the workers' right to strike, and ordered Aerojet Corp. (formerly TNS) to hire the workers back and recompense them for lost wages.
In Concord, MA: The cleanup of depleted uranium at the Starmet (formerly Nuclear Metals) ammunition plant stopped last spring after $6 million was spent. Starmet, the state, and the federal government are arguing over who will pay up to $50 million to complete the cleanup of depleted uranium at the site.

In Washington, DC: A November 1999 conference hosted by the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute discussed current federal research on DU. Researchers recommended further investigation of the relationship between DU and cancer, immune system and neurological problems, and male and female reproductive effects. The Institute of Medicine is currently reviewing DU research to determine what health effects, if any, may be related to Gulf War veterans' illnesses.
In the News: Television shows on depleted uranium have recently aired on national television in Canada (Sept. 1999), Japan (Nov. 1999), the United States (Dec. 1999), and France (Jan. 1999). After the US show "60 Minutes" aired a segment on DU and the Gulf War, Pentagon spokesmen reiterated their assertion that it is impossible any veterans could be sick from depleted uranium.

Dan Fahey (Military Toxics Project PO Box 21309, Washington, DC 20009, 202 232 1880 [email protected]