Uranium Contaminaton Blog

WIDOW OF POISONED NUCLEAR WORKER WANTS JUSTICE

Wes Rehberg — Sat, 08 May 2010 09:34:00 GMT

Interview with Jan Lovelace, widow of poisoned nuclear complex worker Harry Lovelace, details the trials both have gone through to try get help through the Energy Employee Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 (EEOICPA) administered by the U.S. Dept. of Labor. Jan also describes the extreme personal difficulties of Harry's illness, attributed to his work as a fireman at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. Ten-minutes, filmed by Wes Rehberg, music by Paul Page, ©2009 Wild Clearing

"My Life Is Ruined" - A Nuclear Enrichment Story

Wes Rehberg — Sun, 10 May 2009 01:38:00 GMT

"My Life is Ruined" - A Nuclear Enrichment Story from Wes Rehberg on Vimeo.

"My Life is Ruined" - A Nuclear Enrichment Story:
Janet Michel, former U.S. Department of Energy worker stationed in the Oak Ridge, TN, nuclear complex, is disabled and poisoned by heavy metal contamination from her work site.
She has become an organizer and highly vocal advocate for help for the thousands of others similarly afflicted who seek medical help and compensation through a federal Department of Labor program that advocates say is extremely difficult for sick ex-nuclear workers to negotiate. The program is called the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program (EEOICP).
This video is a 31-minute interview in which Janet , once a white-water kayak instructor, passionately details her struggle and the obstacles she and others face. It is a long video by internet standards but her story needs to be aired as she relates it.
Filmed by Wes Rehberg, Wild Clearing © 2009

Janine Anderson Dies After Championing Sick Nuclear Worker Cause: Last Interview

Wes Rehberg — Mon, 04 May 2009 11:17:00 GMT

Janine Anderson Dies After Championing Sick Nuclear Worker Cause: Last Interview from Wes Rehberg on Vimeo.

Janine Anderson died four days after launching hers and other sick-nuclear fuel plant workers campaign on April 28, 2009 for a National Day of Remembrance of those still ill from contaminants and those who passed on. She worked at the nuclear fuel gaseous diffusion K-25 plant in Oak Ridge TN. She was among several sickened workers I've interviewed in the past year - to view their stories and events, visittheexposed.net - This is a draft video © 2009 Wes Rehberg, Wild Clearing

POISONED BY A NEW YORK NUCLEAR PROCESSING PLANT

Wes Rehberg — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 14:42:00 GMT

Poisoned by a New York Nuclear Processing Plant from Wes Rehberg on Vimeo.

Nearby residents and workers at NL Industries in the Albany, NY, area were found to be contaminated by depleted and enriched uranium - U238 and U235 - 25 years after the plant was ordered shut down. This video, a chapter in our documentary "Contaminated Forever," details a press conference on their contamination and a visit to the former NL site - see contaminatedforever.com

ITALIANS COMPENSATING DU-CONTAMINATED VETERANS

Wes Rehberg — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 10:51:00 GMT

Italians Compensating DU-contaminated veterans

From Kazashi Nobuo, No DU Hiroshima Project

Feb. 7 -- A Japanese syndicated media, Kyodo Press, reported that they asked the Italian Ministry of Defense about the DU compensation approved by Italian Cabinet on Dec. 18, 2008, about which ICBUW [International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons] has already reported as below based on a report by Stefania Divertito, journalist and a member of ICBUW Steering Committee.

According to the answer Kyodo Press received, the number of Italian veterans suffering from serious diseases like cancers and regarded as entitled to this compensation package is 1,703, among whom 77 have already passed away. The areas where these veterans were deployed include Bosnia, Herzegovina, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq. The Italian government is trying to make standards for compensation to the veterans and the bereaved by March and start payments then.

This follow-up news by Kyodo Press has already been taken up by several papers in Japan. For your reference.

Kazashi Nobuo, ICBUW, NO DU Hiroshima Project ... to read the rest, click here ...

TVA COAL ASH SPILL: Video Sketch of River Damage in Tennessee

Wes Rehberg — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 15:19:00 GMT

TVA Coal Ash Spill: Video Sketch of River Damage from Wes Rehberg on Vimeo.

A video sketch of coal ash spill damage to the Emory River in Tennessee, result of a coal ash slurry pond dam break from the TVA Kingston Coal Power Plant that spilled into the river and surrounding community ... also an encounter with a local deputy who tried to stop filming -- filmed by Wes Rehberg, Wild Clearing. For a high-definition version, visit this web page ...

GULF WAR ILLNESS REPORT SHOWS DU COVERUP BY US GOVERNMENT

Wes Rehberg — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 16:24:00 GMT

Gulf War Illness report shows cover-up by US government scientists

A US Congressional report on Gulf War illness has accused US Government scientists of covering up key data on the impact of depleted uranium on veterans' health.

12 December 2008 - Dave Cullen

In mid November, a committee set up by the US Congress released a landmark report on Gulf War Illness (GWI), an event widely reported by the media. It was considered a landmark study, as it stated categorically that the ill effects suffered by veterans of the 1990-1991 Gulf War were real, and amounted to a distinct medical condition.

The report identified two probable causes of this illness - pyridostigmine bromide (PB) pills which were given to troops to protect them from nerve agents, and pesticides which were liberally used to protect troops from insects.

However, amidst all the fuss, some incredibly damning information on the US government's response to the use of uranium weapons was completely ignored by the media. The section on DU related a litany of irrelevant research, obstructive and incompetent behaviour by the US government, and confirmation that a touchstone study on veterans affected by DU covered up an incidence of cancer in the group.

McDiarmid study
Melissa McDiarmid’s Baltimore study, which looks at the health of friendly fire victims, many of whom have DU fragments in their bodies, drew particular criticism. This study is frequently referred to by the UK and US governments when they seek to defend DU, and has been repeatedly attacked by campaigners – all of whom are vindicated by the report.

While the DoD has indicated that at least 900 veterans were involved in incidents that could cause higher-level DU exposure, only 70 were studied in total – and only 30 in any single follow up. The crude categories used for medical problems and the lack of a control group in all but one of the studies, mean that they are of little use for drawing meaningful conclusions. It is also suggested that the studies failed to follow up significant findings, including detectable levels of uranium in the sperm of several veterans in 1997.

Cancer cover-up
Most damming of all is the attempt to cover up the incidence of tumours in McDiarmid’s study group. The fact that one veteran developed Hodgkin’s lymphoma is mentioned in passing in one write-up in 1999, but omitted from subsequent reports, and the occurrence of a non-malignant bone tumour in another is not mentioned at all. ... (from ICBUW) ... for the entire report click here ...

FACEBOOK: Video and photo posts

Wes Rehberg — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 14:29:00 GMT

I’ve added on Facebook videos and photos from efforts in human-rights and media activism …. Facebook| Wes Rehberg … at http://www.facebook .com/people/Wes _Rehberg /733804517

141 NATIONS SUPPORT 2ND URANIUM WEAPONS RESOLUTION IN UN VOTE

Wes Rehberg — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 11:07:00 GMT

141 states support second uranium weapons resolution in UN General Assembly vote

The United Nations General Assembly has passed, by a huge majority, a resolution requesting its agencies to update their positions on the health and environmental effects of uranium weapons.

2 December 2008 - ICBUW

The voting explained:

> Overwhelming majority of states support action on uranium weapons
> EU and NATO members split on the issue
> US, UK, Israel and France isolated
> UN Agencies forced to update their positions on uranium weapons by 2010
> 141 vote in favour, 34 abstain, four vote against.

The resolution, which had passed the First Committee stage on October 31st by 127 states to four, calls on three UN agencies - the World Health Organisation (WHO), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to update their positions on uranium weapons. The overwhelming support for the text reflects increasing international concern over the long-term impact of uranium contamination in post-conflict environments and military ranges ... ( for the entire report, click here ...)

PEACE GARDEN: Gift for a Salina, Kansas, neighborhood

Wes Rehberg — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 18:51:00 GMT

PEACE GARDEN: Gift for a Salina, Kansas, neighborhood from Wes Rehberg on Vimeo.

Ted Zerger of Salina, KS, had a vision for building community in a neighborhood, so he bought three lots in a rougher section of the city and created a peace garden in 2001. With his wife Vera's support, the garden has become a place for food and flowers and occasional festivities. Its name, "Peace Garden," was chosen to offer the idea as well to the neighborhood, where children and adults alike take part in the sowing and reaping, the effort to build community.

Ted and Vera had offered me hospitality while in Salina for a Heartland Speaks peace rally there in opposition to a military "strafing and bombing" air show, where I and seven others were arrested. After I was released from jail, Ted took me over to the Peace Garden and offered a few stories as well.-- Wes Rehberg, Wild Clearing

HEARTLAND SPEAKS: Rally and arrests in opposition to military air show

Wes Rehberg — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 11:22:00 GMT

Heartland Speaks: Rally & arrests in opposition to military air show from Wes Rehberg on Vimeo.

VIDEO: Posted here is a 7-minute video of our rally and arrests at the Salina, Kansas A-10 Warthog "bombing and strafing" air show after "crossing the line" during a demonstration against increased U.S. militarization and the use of depleted uranium munitions. Filmed by Wes Rehberg, Wild Clearing.

Eight from "The Heartland Speaks" arrested at Kansas A-10 Warthog air show

Wes Rehberg — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 11:09:00 GMT

Eight from "The Heartland Speaks" arrested at Kansas A-10 Warthog air show

Eight of us were arrested Wednesday at the site of the Salina, Kansas "bombing and strafing" air show after "crossing the line" during a demonstration against increased U.S. militarization and the use of depleted uranium munitions. Four of the jailed were over age 70.

The arrested were part of a three-day gathering of about 40 activists from throughout the U.S. called "The Heartland Speaks," which included presentations on militarization and the environment, impact of the use and production of depleted uranium munitions, the lethal use of the A-10 Thunderbolt (Warthog) military jet, the face of warmaking, and nonviolent peacebuilding.

Arrested and jailed for criminal trespass were Janie Stein, 50, and Martin Bates, 53, conference organizers in Salina; Sister Agnes Caroline Teter, 79, of Salina; Frank Cordaro, 57, of Des Moines Catholic Worker; Ralph Kresin, 71, of the Salina peace community; Gerald Paoli, 48, of Voices of Creative Nonviolence in Chicago; Sister Margaret Rourke, 80, of Salina, and Wes Rehberg, 72, of Wild Clearing in Chattanooga, TN. Sisters Caroline and Margaret are connected with the Sisters of St. Joseph.

The A-10 Warthog competition was called "Hawgsmoke," and jets were taking off and landing in practice runs during the demonstration. The military jets,can fire up to 60 30mm rounds a second in their bombing and strafing attacks, including DU rounds, and have been deployed extensively in recent U.S. military incursions.

The local media lauded the "Hawgsmoke" competition with headlines like "They're Heeeere ..." and "Successful Takeoff," but also covered the demonstration and arrests. About 50 persons were present at the demonstration, which included a three-mile march to the site of the air competition, live music and talks by participants.

Attending the conference and demonstration as well were activists from Veterans for Peace, the National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance in Baltimore, Christian Peacemaker Teams, the Land Institute, the Manhattan, KS, peace community, and an activist musician from Australia.

THE EXPOSED: ATTORNEY DETAILS PROBLEMS IN U.S. HELP FOR SICK NUCLEAR WORKERS

Wes Rehberg — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 09:04:00 GMT

THE EXPOSED: Atty lists problems in US help for sick nuclear workers from Wes Rehberg on Vimeo.

Attorney Frank Gerlach details problems in the U.S. program to help sick nuclear workers under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness and Compensation Program, in this preliminary video clip for the documentary "The Exposed." He spoke at a meeting of the Portsmouth/Piketon Residents for Environmental Safety and Security in Ohio -- co-founded by Vina Colley, a sick former worker at the USEC Portsmouth nuclear enrichment plant. Gerlach represents sick workers in their efforts to obtain compensation and medical aid from nuclear plant contamination through the program administered by the U.S. Dept. of Labor. Filmed by Wes Rehberg, Wild Clearing

THE EXPOSED: INTERVIEW WITH MIKE DRIVER, SICK NUCLEAR WORKER

Wes Rehberg — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 18:55:00 GMT

THE EXPOSED: Interview with Mike Driver, sick nuclear worker from Wes Rehberg on Vimeo.

This continues our series of preliminary video clips from interviews with sick nuclear plant workers, here with Mike Driver, who worked at the Paducah, KY, gaseous diffusion nuclear fuel enrichment plant. The preliminary clips are from filming for our documentary in process, "The Exposed," produced by Wes & Eileen Rehberg of Wild Clearing. See www.wildclearing.com for our work.

THE EXPOSED: SICK OAK RIDGE NUCLEAR WORKERS DESCRIBE THEIR FRUSTRATIONS

Wes Rehberg — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 21:01:00 GMT

THE EXPOSED: Sick Oak Ridge Workers Speak of Their Frustrations from Wes Rehberg on Vimeo.

During an interview for our documentary "The Exposed," three former Oak Ridge nuclear workers spoke of their frustrations with obtaining medical help and compensation through the U.S. Department of Labor, charged with helping such workers through the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 (EEOICPA) -- working video clip filmed by Wes Rehberg, Wild Clearing

THE EXPOSED: Interview with Vina Colley, sick uranium worker

Wes Rehberg — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 10:53:00 GMT

The Exposed: Vina Colley, sick uranium worker from Wes Rehberg on Vimeo.

Above is a 14-minute video of an interview with sick worker Vina Colley, who was an employee at the Portsmouth/Piketon Ohio uranium enrichment and gaseous diffusion plant, now operated by United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC). Colley details her illnesses, workplace problems, her employment and her efforts to obtain medical help and monetary compensation. She is president of PRESS, the Portsmouth/Piketon Residents for Environmental Safety and Security, and co-founder of National Nuclear Workers for Justice.

The interview is connected with a documentary were filming called "The Exposed." -- Wes Rehberg, Wild Clearing.

LT. COL. ROGER HELBIG TRIED TO BLOCK "CONTAMINATED FOREVER" FESTIVAL SCREENING

Wes Rehberg — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 18:36:00 GMT

DU-munitions supporter Lt. Col. Roger Helbig had tried to block Wild Clearing's First Take Film Festival April screening in Augusta, GA of "Contaminated Forever: The Deadly Aftermath of Depleted Uranium Munitions"
Helbig, who obsessively hounds DU munitions opponents, made one attempt in the following post to the Netherlands RadSafe listserv:

"[ RadSafe ] Stopping Film Festival Screening of "Contaminated Forever"

"From Roger Helbig rhelbig at california.com
"Sun Apr 6 15:32:02 CEST 2008
"This film will be shown at the First Take Film Festival in Augusta, Georgia.
If there are any RADSAFE members near there who would like to contact the mayor and suggest that this propaganda film not be shown as a documentary - it's fictional and speculative not a documentary."

"Mayor's Office
530 Greene Street
Room 806
Augusta, Georgia 30901
Phone: (706) 821-1831
Fax: (706) 821-1835"

Photo above is Helbig.
For a bio-glimpse of his
background, view this PDF file.
We have filed a police complaint in Chattanooga, TN --for threats contained in his emails, view this file ...

THE EXPOSED: VIDEO -- RALLY FOR POISONED NUCLEAR WORKERS IN OAK RIDGE, TN

Wes Rehberg — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 01:16:00 GMT

THE EXPOSED: Nuclear Workers rally for illness compensation in Oak Ridge, TN from Wes Rehberg on Vimeo.

Posted on-line is a 14-minute video of a rally in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, organized by the Coalition for a Healthy Environment, whose organizers have been working since the mid-1990s for compensation, care and recognition of nuclear weapons worker contamination. Many among this group are sick from the poisons as well.

The rally, on June 25, 2008, was among others that day in Cleveland, Ohio, organized by Bethlehem Steel former workers in Buffalo, New York, in Denver, Colorado, organized by Rocky Flats former workers, and in Hispañola, New Mexico, by Los Alamos workers. The video can also be viewed in a higher-resolution version at this site: http://www.wildclearing.com/ice-ages/the-exposed.html

We're now developing a documentary on nuclear workers who have become poisoned by heavy metals, radiation and other contaminants and who are also struggling for adequate compensation for their illnesses for those who are yet alive but sick, and for acknowledgement that those who have died did so as a result of limited or no recognition that their illnesses were caused by exposure to contaminants, flawed human safety procedures and limited care.

IRAQ VETERANS AGAINST THE WAR (IVAW) - WITNESS IN VIRGINIA

Wes Rehberg — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 00:30:00 GMT

Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) - testimony in Virginia (Between the Ice Ages) from Wes Rehberg on Vimeo.

Five U.S. veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, members of IVAW, bore witness in May 2008 to what they experienced in these armed conflicts as well as on their return to the United States. Excerpts from the witness of the veterans -- Adam Kokesh, James Gilligan, Jason Hurd, Ray Curry and James Morriss -- are provided in the video here, filmed by Wes Rehberg. Leonard McGann plays the Native American flute in this 34 minute documentary video, filmed at the Building a New World Conference at Radford University in Virginia, offered by the World Prout Assembly.
© 2008 Wes Rehberg, Wild Clearing
A higher-resolution flash broadband version is available at:
wildclearing.com/ice-ages/ivaw-prout.html

"CONTAMINATED FOREVER" -- INTRODUCTORY SCENES FROM A DOCUMENTARY ON THE HAZARDS OF DEPLETED URANIUM MUNITIONS

Wes Rehberg — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 22:38:00 GMT

"CONTAMINATED FOREVER" - the documentary --
... exposing the ongoing impact of the use of depleted uranium munitions

   Filmmaker Wes Rehberg and artist and social policy analyst Eileen Rehberg have produced and filmed "Contaminated Forever," a 1-hour and 45-minute documentary to help in the effort to expose the terrible consequences of the use of depleted uranium weapons (DU) for test purposes and in the battlefield.
   These weapons were used in Iraq, the Balkans, on testing grounds throughout the United States and territories, and possibly in Afghanistan, Panama and Lebanon, with their poison dust afflicting soldiers and civilians. Their nanoparticle fallout, in the earth, has a half-life of 4.5 billion years, ready to be inhaled or ingested, where, inside the body, they pass through cell walls to begin their radioactive and toxic damage.
   You may view the home page for "Contaminated Forever," as well as a high-bandwidth flash video draft of this segment, at this web page. A DVD of the documentary is also available for purchase there. A Vimeo version is below. -- Wes Rehberg

"Contaminated Forever" - introductory scenes: a documentary on DU weapons contamination from Wes Rehberg on Vimeo.

OUTLINE OF DOCUMENTARY:

PART 1: Introduction
PART 2: CPT actions at Aerojet Ordnance in Tennessee
PART 3: Vieques activists speak out about bombing range contamination
PART 4: Doug Rokke, maligned military whistleblower
PART 5: ICBUW conference at UN Plaza in NYC
PART 6: NL industries victims of contamination
PART 7: Anti-DU rally in Jonesborough, TN
POSTLUDE: Iraq veteran Herb Reed at home

LONG-TIME ACTIVIST ANNE HERMAN HAS PASSED ON FROM CANCER

Wes Rehberg — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 12:24:00 GMT

We learned that Anne Herman has passed on from lung cancer in Birmingham, AL. Anne was in Jonesborough, Tennessee, during the 10-day May 2007 delegation and action by Christian Peacemaker Teams against Aerojet Ordnance's production of depleted uranium munitions cores. She was not well then but persisted in being part of every action that team shared with her unsurpassed candidness and humor.

Before then, we had crossed paths with Anne in Chiapas, Mexico, in December 1998 during the time of the commemoration of the 45 persons who were massacred by paramilitaries in Acteal the year earlier. We had known Anne and shared time with her as well during her activism while she lived in upstate NY.

The obituary below is a very fair representation of Anne. The photo is from a film clip during the Jonesborough, TN, action.

Wes Rehberg

-----------

Activist Anne Herman dead at 74

By George Basler
Press & Sun-Bulletin [Binghamton, NY]

Deeply committed, but never strident, Anne Herman was a fixture in anti-war and social justice activities in Broome County [upstate New York] for more than two decades.

"It seemed like every important action that dealt with social justice, Anne was there," said Jack Gilroy, a fellow activist and former teacher.

A memorial service for Ms. Herman, 74, will take place at 12:30 p.m. Dec. 8 at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Binghamton. She died Nov. 22 at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital.

Ms. Herman was motivated by " a deep down, basic caring about people" and an identification with those she considered oppressed throughout the world, said Ann Clune, of Binghamton, a long-time friend and fellow activist.

In the 1980s, Ms. Herman worked as the local coordinator of RAM (Redistribute America Movement), a statewide welfare advocacy group. She later did advocacy work with the Mayan people in Chiapas, Mexico.

Over the years, Ms. Herman protested against everything from spousal abuse to nuclear arms to American foreign policy and, most recently, the Iraq War. She was arrested a number of times, and in 1997 was sentenced to six months in federal prison for trespassing at the Army-run School of the Americas at Fort Benning, Ga.

"She was a pleasant person, but she also pushed. She had the strength of saying, 'I know where I'm going, and I'm going to take all the steps to get there,'" said David Duncan, former director of Opportunities for Broome.

But, Gilroy said, he can never remember Ms. Herman making a negative comment about another person, even someone she disagreed with. In 1998, the Broome County Council of Churches recognized her for her community work.

"She saw problems with power and force being right, and didn't accept that," Gilroy said. Ms. Herman also made beautiful quilts and was close to her six children and five grandchildren, Clune said.

In 2003, Ms. Herman described her lifelong activism this way: "I've come to the place in life where I realize I can't look to success, rather I need to do what I need to do. You never know who you might impact." Donations can be made in her name to the Christian Peacemaker Teams, Box 6508, Chicago, Ill. 60680-6508.

ICBUW LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN AGAINST FINANCIAL INSTITUTION INVESTMENT IN DU MUNITIONS MANUFACTURERS

Wes Rehberg — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 10:27:00 GMT

From the International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons (ICBUW)

Does Your Bank Support DU Manufacturers?

On November 6th 2007 ICBUW member organisations launched a global disinvestment campaign against investments by high street banks and investment companies around the world in the manufacturers of uranium weapons. Read on to find out how you can get involved.

ICBUW already campaigns globally through traditional means for a ban on uranium weapons. We have now taken the fight to the arms manufacturers and the bodies that fund them.

In collaboration with Network Flanders and Banktrack, on November 6th 2007, the UN Day for the Prevention of the Exploitation of the Environment Through Armed Conflict, we launched 'Too Risky for Business' - a dossier detailing how your high street banks are supporting companies that manufacture indiscriminate and illegal weapon systems.

We have created a full activist's tool kit to allow you to challenge your bank to disinvest and isolate these companies, be it through direct action, letter writing or media work.

Attachments

Activist Tool Kit (1932 Kb - Format zip)

ICBUW

Too Risky For Business bank report
Too Risky For Business bank report abstract
Model press release
Model leaflet
Model letter for banks
Press kit
Four jpeg versions of the logo - colour, black and white, grayscale (all for paper printing) and a web version.
Too Risky For Business (1250 Kb - Format pdf)

ICBUW

Report on how banks are funding uranium weapons producers.

This document is in PDF format and can be read using Acrobat Reader.
Abstract - Too Risky for Business (392 Kb - Format pdf)

ICBUW

Abstract of the Too Risky for Business Report

This document is in PDF format and can be read using Acrobat Reader.

REFLECTIONS MIDWAY THROUGH A DOCUMENTARY IN PRODUCTION ON DEPLETED URANIUM CONTAMINATION

Wes Rehberg — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 09:23:00 GMT

Midway through our documentary, yet in production, on the terrible consequences of depleted uranium contamination from the use and production of these munitions, I've videoed reflections on how it seems to be going. The reflections were recorded on a MacBookPro using its iSight software. The 10-minute reflection can be found at this Wild Clearing web page -- Wes Rehberg

MUSLIM PEACEMAKER TEAMS REPORTS DEPLETED URANIUM EPIDEMIC IN IRAQ - FROM CLIFF KINDY

Wes Rehberg — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 14:54:00 GMT

The following is from Cliff Kindy's iraq blog -- Cliff has been a leader in the Christian Peacemaker Teams Campaign to Stop-DU, is on his fourth iraq tour for CPT, and has been an organizer in the Jonesborough, TN, effort also led by Linda Modica to halt DU munitions production at Aerojet Ordnance.

from Cliff --

Muslim Peacemaker Teams Reports Depleted Uranium Epidemic

Sami Rasouli, Dr. Najim Askouri and Dr. Assad Al-Janabi, members of Muslim Peacemaker Teams (MPT) in Najaf, visited with Christian Peacemaker Teams CPT) in Suleimaniya, Kurdish Iraq, on December 10 and 11. The visit was an opportunity to report the recent activities of the respective peacemaker groups and learn to know new people. But the primary activity was a forum on depleted uranium (DU) presented by Drs. Assad and Najim.

Dr. Assad is the director of the Pathology Department at the 400-bed public hospital in Najaf. Dr. Najim is a nuclear physicist, trained in Britain, and one of the leading nuclear researchers in Iraq until his departure in 1998. They have worked as an MPT team documenting information about the health impact on Najaf of depleted uranium weapons used during the 1991 and 2003 Gulf wars.

This was not an exhaustive study because of the limits of personnel, resources and equipment. But it did rely on accumulated public data, thorough research, and a major contribution of time and energy. The focus was Najaf, a city of over one million people, and the rural areas in the governate. The area is about 180 miles from where DU was used in the First Gulf War.

Starting in 2004 when the political situation and devastation of the health care infrastructure were at their worst, there were 251 reported cases of cancer. By 2006, when the numbers more accurately reflected the real situation, that figure had risen to 688. Already in 2007, 801 cancer cases have been reported. Those figures portray an incidence rate of 28.21 by 2006, even after screening out cases that came into the Najaf Hospital from outside the governate, a number which contrasts with the normal rate of 8-12 cases of cancer per 100,000 people.

Two observations are striking. One, there has been a dramatic increase in the cancers that are related to radiation exposure, especially the very rare soft tissue sarcoma and leukemia. Two, the age at which cancer begins in an individual has been dropping rapidly, with incidents of breast cancer at 16, colon cancer at 8, and liposarcoma at 1.5 years. Dr. Assad noted that 6% of the cancers reported occurred in the 11-20 age range and another 18% in ages 21-30 ...

To read his entire post, click on this link (pdf file) ...

VIDEO: NL INDUSTRIES DEPLETED URANIUM CONTAMINATION IN COLONIE, NY - PRESS CONFERENCE, SITE VISIT

Wes Rehberg — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 16:57:00 GMT

Featured here is a running 48-minute video account of a press conference at the Albany, NY, state legislative office building organized by the Community Concerned About NL Industries at which research findings were detailed that indicate the long-term persistence of depleted uranium contamination.

Also featured is a 6-minute video sketch of a visit to the NL site by CCNL organizer Tom Ellis and ex-resident Tony Ciarfello, who was found to be contaminated.

SUMMARY: A biological study by Randall Parrish of the NERC Isotope Geosciences Laboratory in the UK and others has detected depleted uranium and in one case enriched uranium in former workers and those who lived and worked nearby the Colonie, NY, NL Industries plant, where depleted uranium munitions cores were produced decades ago.

Below first is the press conference video sketch and below that the site visit, filmed by Wes Rehberg. produced by Wild Clearing (c) 2007 --

NL INDUSTRIES SCIENTIFIC STUDY FORUM - DEPLETED URANIUM STILL CONTAMINATES THOSE IN UPSTATE NEW YORK

Wes Rehberg — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 15:06:00 GMT

Community Concerned About NL Industries
Capital Region Action Against Breast Cancer!
Invite you to attend a Public Forum on

NL Industries Depleted Uranium Contamination:
New Scientific Study Released
Wednesday, December 5 6:30 PM Sand Creek Middle School 329 Sand Creek Rd., Albany, NY 12205

Speakers
* Randall Parrish, Professor, Dept. of Geology, University of Leicester and NERC Isotope Geosciences Laboratory, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, England.
* David Carpenter, M.D., Institute for Health & the Environment, University at Albany.
* John Arnason, Assistant Professor, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, University at Albany.
* People who lived or worked near NL and tested positively for depleted uranium.
Speakers will describe new environmental and health test results relating to the NL Industries depleted uranium site at 1130 Central Avenue, Colonie.

* A report finds depleted uranium (DU) can be detected in people more than 20 years after exposure when using high sensitivity urine tests. Radioactive DU has also been found in the dust of two homes and a workplace after the NL site federal cleanup.

* The isotope measurement testing project, which has never before been conducted on any U.S. community, is a joint initiative of U.S. and British scientists, led by Professor Randall Parrish. The results are being published in an international journal, Science of the Total Environment, in the near future (electronically available on-line), and will be released at a December 5th morning press conference in Albany.

* The NL Industries factory emitted at least 5 tons of DU aerosols from 1958 to 1982. DU is a toxic chemical due to its heavy metal and radiological properties. NL used DU to manufacture armor-piercing munitions.

For more information, contact Anne Rabe, CCNL at annerabe[at]msn. com.

VIDEO: RALLY AT JONESBOROUGH, TN: ... voices in the struggle against DU munitions

Wes Rehberg — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 22:52:00 GMT

"RALLY at Jonesborough, TN:"
"... voices in the struggle against DU munitions"

PART OF UNITED FOR PEACE & JUSTICE OCT. 27, 2007
NATIONWIDE ACTIONS AGAINST THE IRAQ WAR

This 22-minute documentary video was filmed Wes Rehberg
(c) 2007 Wild Clearing

Featured are talks from rally organizer Linda Modica; Vietnam and Iraq war veteran Herbert Reed (DU victim); Caren Neile - storyteller; veteran and conscientious objector Tim Pluta (also DU victim); clips from the protest at Aerojet Ordnance - DU munitions producer; and music from Robert Baldwin, filmmaker and songwriter.

The video may also be viewed in an improved Flash version at this Wild Clearing web page ...

NEW MEXICO VETERANS AND THOSE ON ACTIVE DUTY TO BE TESTED FOR PRESENCE OF DEPLETED URANIUM

Wes Rehberg — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 09:14:00 GMT

The following article was forwarded by Linda Modica, national chair of Sierra Club's radiation committee, and co-founder of First Tennessee Progressives.

Thursday November 8, 2007

New Mexico veterans to be tested for presence of depleted uranium

By Kathy Helms, Diné Bureau
Gallup Independent

WINDOW ROCK ‹ The New Mexico Department of Health will be testing New Mexico
veterans and active duty military personnel beginning next week to determine
whether they have high concentrations of natural uranium and/or depleted
uranium in their urine.

The department¹s Environmental Health Epidemiology Bureau is offering the
tests free of charge at its Scientific Laboratory in Albuquerque for
military personnel and veterans who may have been exposed to depleted
uranium in the Persian Gulf War, the Afghanistan conflict or the current war
in Iraq.

The Department of Health will make appointments to test individuals in every
county of the state from Nov. 13 to the week of Dec. 10. Tests will be
conducted the week of Dec. 10 for individuals from San Juan, McKinley,
Cibola, Sandoval and Los Alamos counties.

"The New Mexico Legislature gave us funding to test veterans and active duty
military who may have been exposed to depleted uranium," said Health
Secretary Dr. Alfredo Vigil. "We encourage military personnel to take
advantage of these free tests."

At the appointment, a Department of Health staff member will give a brief
questionnaire and take a tap water sample, which will also be tested for
total uranium. The water is tested for uranium because New Mexico, on
average, has a higher concentration of uranium in drinking water than the
rest of the country.

If the urine sample tests high for uranium, the department will offer a
follow-up test to determine if this uranium is depleted or natural uranium.

Depleted uranium is used for bullets, tank armor and explosives. One of the
possible side effects of having high levels of depleted uranium is kidney
damage.

Another possible consequence of exposure to depleted uranium is diabetes,
according to Leuren Moret, a geoscientist and international radiation
specialist who formerly worked as a scientist at Lawrence Berkeley and
Lawrence Livermore laboratories.

In an article published in 2006, Moret said data from Japan, the United
States, India and Europe confirms her discovery of a global epidemic of
diabetes which began with Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 and has continued
to increase during atmospheric testing, nuclear power plant operations, and
very sharply since depleted uranium was introduced in 1991.

"The major radioactive pollutant from atmospheric testing was uranium. There
is an established link in the scientific literature between uranium and
diabetes. Diabetes has also been linked to radiation exposure in Hiroshima,
Nagasaki, and Chernobyl survivors," Moret said.

Her theory has been corroborated by Dr. Ernest Sternglass, professor
emeritus of Radiological Physics at the University of Pittsburgh Medical
School, a pioneer in the study of the health effects of low-level radiation,
and other health experts.

In an article first published from last December through Valentine¹s Day
2007 in the San Francisco Bay View, "From Hiroshima to Iraq, 61 Years of
Uranium Wars," Moret wrote that the conduct of secret nuclear wars since
1991, through the use of depleted uranium weaponry by the United States and
Great Britain with their allies, has taken place in the Middle East, the
former Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and Lebanon.

"It has been carried out for the express purpose of destroying the public
health and mutilating the genetic future of vast populations in oil rich
and/or pipeline regions," she said.

"Carpet and grid bombing with depleted uranium weaponry in Iraq, Yugoslavia
and Afghanistan has guaranteed permanent radioactive terrain contamination.
The recent discovery that U.S. depleted uranium bombs dropped by Israel on
Lebanon in 2006 contained enriched uranium suggests covert testing of fourth
generation nuclear weapons, in violation of the Geneva and Hague
Conventions and the 1925 Geneva Poison Gas Protocol.

"For populations that must continue to live in contaminated areas, the
long-term effects are lingering illnesses and mutilation of their DNA. Š
Mutations induced in the DNA of a single egg or sperm which form a
fertilized egg are expressed and repeated in every cell of the developing
organism, and defects are passed on to all future generations.

"Global atmospheric pollution from depleted uranium particulates will result
in massive depopulation on a global scale. By increasing death rates and
decreasing birth rates globally, more than 2 billion people will be
eliminated," Moret predicts.

"Not only are U.S. and allied soldiers exposed and civilian populations
genocidally targeted, but the depleted uranium pollution is now global. In
reality, we are all Gulf War veterans."

Information: To volunteer or find out more, contact the Department¹s
Environmental Health Epidemiology Bureau at: DOH-EHEB@state.nm.us or call
toll-free, 888-878-8992.

VETERANS ADMINISTRATION HEALTH CARE FIGURES MOUNT AMONG THOSE IN MILITARY INVOLVED IN THE GULF WARS

Wes Rehberg — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 13:48:00 GMT

The commentary below is from Dr. Doug Rokke -- the figures from Veterans Administration data:

The hope or dream that members of congress or the administration will ever fund prompt and effective medical care and facilities will never be fulfilled. Today with well over 750,000 casualties from the Persian Gulf combat since we initiated combat action during May 1990. and then we have over 400,000 Vietnam Vets affected by Agent Orange and then thousands of WW2 and Korean War vets who need medical care too. Even when congres(s) passes the budget the Office of Management and Budget- OMB stops it cold.

Portions of the internal Va report on OEF- OIF casualties follows:

Analysis of VA Health Care Utilization Among US Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) Veterans Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Iraqi Freedom VHA Office of Public Health and Environmental Hazards October 2007

Among all 751,273 separated OEF/OIF Veterans
35% (263,909) of total separated OEF/OIF veterans have obtained VA health care since
FY 2002 (cumulative total)

96% (253,730) of 263,909 evaluated OEF/OIF patients have been seen as outpatients only by VA and not hospitalized

4% (10,179) of 263,909 evaluated OEF/OIF patients have been hospitalized at least once in a VA health care facility

% OEF/OIF Veterans
(n = 263,909)
Sex
Male 88 %
Female 12%
Age Group
<20 5%
20-29 52%
30-39 23%
>40 20%
Branch
Air Force 12%
Army 65%
Marine 12%
Navy 11%
Unit Type
Active 50%
Reserve/Guard 50%
Rank
Enlisted 92%
Officer 8%
Diagnosis (n = 263,909)

(Broad ICD-9 Categories) Frequency * %

Infectious and Parasitic Diseases (001-139) 28,665 - 10.9%
Malignant Neoplasms (140-208) 2,193 - 0.8%
Benign Neoplasms (210-239) 9,129 - 3.5%
Diseases of Endocrine/Nutritional/ Metabolic Systems (240-279) 50,968 - 19.3%
Diseases of Blood and Blood Forming Organs (280-289) 5,086 - 1.9%
Mental Disorders (290-319) 100,580 - 38.1%
Diseases of Nervous System/ Sense Organs (320-389) 83,273 - 31.6%
Diseases of Circulatory System (390-459) 39,633 - 15.0%
Disease of Respiratory System (460-519) 49,464 - 18.7%
Disease of Digestive System (520-579) 81,427 - 30.9%
Diseases of Genitourinary System (580-629) 25,561 - 9.7%
Diseases of Skin (680-709) 38,791 - 14.7%
Diseases of Musculoskeletal System/Connective System (710-739) 117,424 - 44.5%
Symptoms, Signs and Ill Defined Conditions (780-799) 93,093 - 35.3%
Injury/Poisonings (800-999) 48,736 - 18.5%

*These are cumulative data since FY 2002, with data on hospitalizations and outpatient visits as of June 30, 2007; veterans can have multiple diagnoses with each healthcare encounter. A veteran is counted only once in any single diagnostic category but can be counted in multiple categories, so the above numbers add up to greater than 263,909.

If you go to www.va .gov then pull up the May 2007 HGWVIS report you wil(l) find out on page 9 that out of out of 1,129,340 who have served in the Gulf since May 1990 that only 963,083 are still alive.

So given these horrible casualties are due to our own actions- failures medical care and facility funding will never be provided. IT WOULD BREAK THE BANK!

From Dr. Doug Rokke

FOLLOWING JONESBOROUGH, TN, RALLY, AEROJET ORDNANCE'S COMPANY SPENDS 45 MINUTES ON WILD CLEARING WEBSITE

Wes Rehberg — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 14:40:00 GMT

Depleted uranium weapons producer Aerojet Ordnance's company visited Wild Clearing's web site for 45 minutes, following the United for Peace and Justice rally in Jonesborough, TN, where the penetrator munitions cores are produced. A snapshot of the company's visit, the day after the Oct. 27 rally, is below ... intriguing that they should stop by again ...

PHOTOS AND VIDEO FROM JONESBOROUGH, TN, OCT.27 UFPJ RALLY AGAINST DU WEAPONS AND IRAQ WAR

Wes Rehberg — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 10:16:00 GMT

We have posted photos and video from Jonesborough, TN, rally Oct. 27, 2007 against depleted uranium weapons and the Iraq war, sponsored by United for Democracy and Justice (UFPJ) and First Tennessee Progressives ...

-- Herbert Reed, Iraq war vet under treatment for DU contamination, addresses rally

The rally was part of a continuing effort to oppose the production, testing and battlefield use of depleted uranium munitions -- including those manufactured at Aeroject Ordnance in Jonesborough -- to view the photos and a Flash video clip, filmed by Wes Rehberg, visit this iink ...:

Below also is the video clip -- Robert Bruce Baldwin singing his song, "All Across America" --

OCT 27: FALL OUT AGAINST THE WAR RALLY IN JONESBOROUGH, TN -- RESCUE TROOPS FROM DU CONTAMINATION -- MARCH ON WEAPONS MAKER

Wes Rehberg — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 03:49:00 GMT

82-YEAR-OLD WWII NAVY VETERAN CARRIES ON FIGHT AGAINST DEPLETED URANIUM WEAPONS USE BY USA

Wes Rehberg — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 19:02:00 GMT

Bud Deraps, an 82-year-old Navy veteran of World War II, has been waging a personal campaign against depleted uranium weapons use by U.S. military forces, as well as against their production in the USA. He is a member of Veterans for Peace and Military Families Speak Out, and lost a grandson in the Iraq war. He produced the video viewable below, carrying his message: "What Are We Doing to Our Own" --

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS REPORTS 73 THOUSAND U.S. GULF WAR ERA DEATHS

Wes Rehberg — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 11:20:00 GMT

OpEdNews
Original Content at www.opednews.com/articles/genera_clive_bo_070921_department_of_vetera.htm
September 22, 2007

Department of Veterans Affairs Reports 73 Thousand U.S. Gulf War Era Deaths

By Clive Boustred

More Gulf War Veterans have died than Vietnam Veterans:
The Department of Veterans Affairs, May 2007, Gulf War Veterans Information System reports the following:

Total U.S. Military Gulf War Deaths: 73,846
– Deaths amongst Deployed: 17,847
– Deaths amongst Non-Deployed: 55,999

Total “Undiagnosed Illness” (UDX) claims: 14,874
Total number of disability claims filed: 1,620,906
- Disability Claims amongst Deployed: 407,911
- Disability Claims amongst Non-Deployed: 1,212,995

Percentage of combat troops that filed Disability Claims 36%

-Source: www1.va.gov/rac-gwvi/docs/GWVIS_May2007.pdf

   NOTE: Soldiers, by nature, typically don’t complain. In other words, the real impact of those who are disabled from the US invasions in Iraq, Afghanistan and other Nations, is not fully reflected in the official Veterans Affairs numbers. When soldiers are sent to murder women and children they tend to never be able to live normal lives there after.
   How come the government numbers of 3,777 as of 9/7/7 are so low? The answer is simple, the government does not want the 73,000 dead to be compared to the 55,000 U.S. soldiers killed in Vietnam Iraq = Vietnam. What the government is doing is only counting the soldiers that die in action before they can get them into a helicopter or ambulance. Any soldier who is shot but they get into a helicopter before he dies is not counted.
   73,000 dead amongst the U.S. soldiers for this scale operation using weapons of mass destruction is not high - we expect the great majority of U.S. soldiers who took part in the invasion of Iraq to die of uranium poisoning, which can take decades to kill.
   From a victors perspective, above any major war in history, The Gulf War has taken the severest toll on soldiers.
   More than 1,820 tons of radio active nuclear waste uranium were exploded into Iraq alone in the form of armor piercing rounds and bunker busters, representing the worlds worst man made ecological disaster ever. 64 kg of uranium were used in the Hiroshima bomb. The U.S. Iraq Nuclear Holocaust represents far more than fourteen thousand Hiroshima’s. The nuclear waste the U.S. has exploded into the Middle East will continue killing for billions of years and can wipe out more than a third of life on earth. Gulf War Veterans who have ingested the uranium will continue to die off over a number of years.
   So far more than one million people have been slaughtered in the illegal invasion of Iraqi by the U.S. Birth defects are up 600% in Iraq – the same will apply to U.S. Veterans.
   Statistics and evidence published by the government and mainstream media in no way reflect the extreme gravity of the situation.
   Those working for the government and media must wake up and take responsibility for immediately reversing this U.S. Holocaust. Understanding who is manipulating all of us is critical for all of us.

Authors Website: www.libertyforlife.com
Authors Bio: As one of the industries foremost technology & business strategists, Mr. Boustred has provided strategy and the architectural vision for some of the world's most successful companies. Mr. Boustred has designed massively scalar systems that have grown to support well over ten million users. The next generation Internet and banking systems Mr. Boustred designed to support billions of users was interrupted by a governmental assault during deployment, which resulted in him analyzing the legal industry and the development of Liberty For Life & CopperCards. For more on Clive visit: http://www.libertyforlife.com/team/clive_boustred.htm

VIDEOS: VIEQUES ACTIVISTS SPEAK OUT ABOUT DU CONTAMINATION ON THEIR ISLAND

Wes Rehberg — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 13:10:00 GMT

VIEQUES ACTIVISTS ON DU IMPACT

Nilda Medina in Vieques

While in Vieques in September 2007, I spoke with Nilda Medina, Ismael Guadalupe, filmmaker Andres Nieves and Robert Rabin, founders and members of the Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques, on the impact from contamination from the U.S. Navy bombing practice on the Puerto Rican island. These interviews are part of a developing documentary on the impact of depleted uranium contamination on people and the environment.
Nilda speaks of the need for health services, Ismael offers insights into the resistance against the U.S. Navy presence for over 60 years and the contamination, Andres tells how he was personally affected, and Robert scopes out the history of the occupation and the extent of the contamination. These are roughly compiled video clips, basically unaltered, about 10 minutes each. To view these, visit this web page ... -- Wes Rehberg .

VIEQUES INTERVIEW NOTES WITH ACTIVISTS ON DEPLETED URANIUM AND OTHER MILITARY CONTAMINATION

Wes Rehberg — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 18:12:00 GMT

Vieques interview notes with activists on depleted uranium contamination –

for Stop-DU meeting and other forums:
From Wes Rehberg

The interviews and the visit to Vieques are part of a documentary I’m making on DU contamination dangers – U.S. Navy contamination from weapons testing on this Puerto Rican island was the key theme of the interviews. The interviews were conducted during my Sept. 18-24 2007 journey throughout the island.

The key interviews were with six people:
* Nilda Medina, former science teacher, long-time activist and organizer and now developer of cooperative enterprises, who has been imprisoned for her activism against the Navy presence on two-thirds of the island, the weapons testing there, and who now speaks to the health problems of contamination;
* Ismael Guadalupe Ortiz, activist since he was 19 (now aged 63), activist and organizer, addressed UN committee on colonialism twice, was imprisoned four times, who sees contamination now and the necessity of its cleanup as the cause for new occupations of Navy land by activists;
* Andres Nieves, cinema photographer in US, moved to Vieques on retirement, documented via video more than 1,000 hours on Vieques problems for Fort Conde Marisal Museum archives, also an activist, has been tested positive for contamination;
* Zaida Torres, nurse at Vieques hospital, whose child died of cancer, and who addresses issue of contamination and the need for health services and remedies on the island;
* Robert Rabin, a former Bostonian who has lived in Vieques for more than two decades, is director of the museum mentioned above, is a key activist, organizer and educator via the museum, and who has also spent time in federal prison for his activism.
* Tania Cruz Morales, youth activist who speaks to problems related to contamination, including psychological;
I also spoke off-camera with a man who works on the decontamination project for USA Environmental, one of the Navy contractors responsible for cleanup – briefly, he offered a contrast about the exposure and said he has also been involved in Iraq and Kuwait recent cleanup efforts. The contrast is this: He has to wear an array of protective gear, including a protective mask that he says is capable of filtering contaminants at a sub-micron level – uranium oxide and ceramic uranium oxide are such contaminants; but if he’s so protected, then the danger of exposure is clearly evident, including the danger to the people of Vieques, despite Navy and other disclaimers about such a danger. (This part I’ll have to narrate into the documentary)

Summary:

It would be more comprehensive to provide individual summaries of what each said, but in the interests of space and time, I’ll address the key points they made:

1. The Navy remedies for decontamination are inadequate. Not only are they inadequate, but the Navy is exploding unexploded ordnance in the open air as part of the “cleanup,” further spreading contaminants. In addition, the Navy disclaims responsibility for the contamination, saying it’s part of the natural Vieques environment. The activists’ response is that the Navy can be the only source – there is no industry on the island except for a small GE plant, and the types of contaminants and the extent are not naturally occurring. These include uranium oxide, lithium, mercury, lead, arsenic, antimony (gunpowder) – some of which has also entered the food chain. The contamination is on land as well as in the surrounding seabed, has been found in fish as well as measured in sea grass at some distance from the test proving grounds sites. Soil, water, food-chain and the air carry the contaminants.

2. There is a considerable need for medical resources to serve people affected – people have to travel by ferry to the main island of Puerto Rico (1¼ hour trip each way) and then by public transportation to receive chemotherapy and dialysis treatments, for example (diabetes is linked to the contamination as well). The contaminants affect the lungs, kidneys, bones, heart, stomach, pancreas, and other organs. Vieques has a rate of cancer at least 26 percent higher than the main island of Puerto Rico, and now possibly measurable at 50 percent higher.

3. In the face of opposition by the U.S. government, the Puerto Rican government and the U.S. military to comprehensive cleanup and health services related to contamination, it would be easy to give in to despair, but this is self-defeating.

4. Activists must remain optimistic that their cause will bear the results they want accomplished.

5. The solutions are not immediate and short-term. They are long-term because of the pervasiveness of the contamination and the health problems.

6. The problems must not be elided or submerged in people’s consciousness, thus education and continued activism is essential. There’s a tendency, for example, to view the cancer problems fatalistically rather than the result of practices that are specific to the island.

7. The Navy must yield the land ultimately back to the people (some has been "turned over" to the U.S. Department of the Interior as a wildlife preserve) – the Navy originally expropriated two thirds of this island, cramming its 10,000 inhabitants in the center – the island is 21 miles long and 4 miles wide. The land, cleaned up, and the seabed, cleaned up, would be a valuable resource for people and their lives. (Ironically, as in Puerto Rico, tourism is the number one economic producer in Vieques – in Puerto Rico’s mainland; the number two industry is pharmaceuticals).
Basically unspoken except in Andres’ case, these activists have been exposed to the contaminants themselves and so have put themselves at high risk.
-- Wes Rehberg

HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA BACKS URANIUM WEAPONS BAN -- FROM ICBUW

Wes Rehberg — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 15:40:00 GMT

From the International Coalition to Ban Nuclear Weapons (ICBUW) ...

TheDalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists has given his support for ICBUW's campaign for a global ban on uranium weapons.

14 September 2007 - ICBUW

The Dalai Lama, who is opposed to the use of weapons and all forms of violence as a means to resolve conflict, has offered his support via his office in exile in Dharamsala.
The Nobel Peace Prize winner is renowned for his support for environmental and human rights campaigns and his strict adherence to the principles of non-violence has won him recognition around the world.
He firmly believes that violence begets violence and therefore it is no solution to a lasting settlement of conflicts; believing instead in the settlement of conflicts through dialogue and compromise so that a lasting solution is found without one being the victor and other the loser.

ICBUW CONFERENCE: URANIUM WEAPONS - CONTRIBUTING TO A DANGEROUS WORLD

Wes Rehberg — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 09:12:00 GMT

FROM VIEQUES, PART TWO -- VIDEO CLIPS FROM DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER ANDRES NIEVES

Wes Rehberg — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 21:32:00 GMT

Below is a video clip posted on the web site of the Commitee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques and YouTube from Vieques documentary filmmaker Andrés Nieves. The video 4-minute video condemns the U.S. Naval bombing and resulting contamination and economic damage to Vieques. For more information visit the committee's web site ...

FROM VIEQUES - TWO DECLARATIONS ABOUT THE IMPACT AND RESPONSE TO U.S. NAVY BOMBINGS AND CONTINUED CONTAMINATION OF THE ISLAND

Wes Rehberg — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 11:44:00 GMT

Below are testimonies from Myrna Pagán and Ismael Guadalupe, founders of the Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques, one presented at the Japan Peace Conference in Okinawa and the other presented before the United Nation's Committee on Decolonization in 2006. The concern now is the continued contamination of this Puerto Rican island, including from DU, as a result of U.S. Navy munitions testing there. Ismael Guadalupe's testimony is in Spanish, with a translation to follow shortly.

Myrna Pagan Comittee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques We are united in an effort to make PEACE in a world which is in an extraordinarily dangerous moment. The United States of America is at war, a war against world terrorism, the enemy is everywhere, and everything in its command will be used to defend the United States. What are the limits? The Bush administration appears to be deliberately ambiguous as to ruling in or out the use of nuclear weapons. The weapons of mass destruction are not ruled out. We must say no to the use of nuclear arms and military escalation. We must suggest alternatives to those policies which depend on superior weapons power and political domination. Ours are the voices which must be heard at this moment. Voices which call for change from policies of destruction and retribution to a more enlightened response of non-violence, perseverence and noble purpose ... To read the entire testimony, click here ...
TESTIMONIO ANTE EL COMITÉ DE DESCOLONIZACIÓN ORGANIZACIÓN DE LAS NACIONES UNIDAS 12 de Junio 2006 - Ismael Guadalupe Ortiz Mi más sincero agradecimiento a esta distinguida Comisión donde encontramos años tras años el espacio para nosotros, los puertorriqueños, plantear nuestra situación colonial. De seguro, los compañeros que me han precedido han señalado con mucha certeza, las condiciones que nos colocan en condición de sumisión política ante el gobierno de los Estados Unidos. Dentro de esa absurda situación de subordinación política ante los Estado Unidos el caso de la isla puertorriqueña de Vieques es ejemplo de esa vulnerabilidad política. Luego de décadas de resistencia contra la militarización de Vieques logramos el 1 de mayo del 2003 que la Marina de Guerra de los Estados Unidos saliera de Vieques. Durante ese proceso de lucha, quedó claramente demostrado que nuestras instituciones, que forman parte del Estado Libre Asociado, son tan solo una caricatura de un falso poder que en última instancia radica en el Congreso de los Estados Unidos. Ningún tribunal de Puerto Rico pudo darle atención a los miles de abusos que contra nuestro pueblo cometía la Marina Invasora. Utilizando términos muy sofisticados los tribunales de Puerto Rico se declaraban fuera de jurisdicción, cada vez que se buscaba justicia ante los atropellos cometidos por los militares estadounidenses ... To read the entire testimony, click here ...

ARMY CONFIRMS DU CONTAMINATION AT HAWAII'S POHAKULOA TRAINING AREA -- CLEANUP DEMANDED THROUGHOUT HAWAII

Wes Rehberg — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 13:14:00 GMT

An update on the broad contamination by depleted uranium weapons in Hawaii ...

   The U.S. Army has admitted that radioactive depleted uranium has been found at the U.S. Army's Pohakuloa Training Area. Military contractor Cabrera Services has also determined that a formerly classified weapon capable of firing DU rounds was used at the 55,000 acre Big Island military base, the Army said in a two-page news release ... this news transmitted via Viviane Lerner on the NucNews nuclear list service, as reported in the Hawaii Tribune-Herald ...
Meantime, Sharon Rudolph offers this statement regarding Hawaii DU contamination : " I'd like to add..... Hawaii residents and especially everyone downwind of any DU discovery wants the military to follow its own laws! Everyone wants free, "REAL" DU testing for all residents! The thousand dollar test!!! Everyone wants the military to follow is own laws to give medical care to anyone harmed ...and in regard to clean- up; close and pave Pohakuloa and every live fire range across the country that used DU! Everyone wants to know why the cancer rates, birth defects, thyroid, immune and neurological problems are so high downwind! Why are feral cats sick on the western slopes of Mauna Kea? Why are hunters reporting a greatly increased amount of tumors in sheep and goats? Hawaii residents want an INDEPENDENT monitor, NOW!
   Everyone in Hawaii wants the army to clean up the other 871 contaminated sites, and however many hundred the navy, has, too! AND they must pay for what they've done to Hawaii and the rest of the country!!!!"
   To read recent NucNews recent posts from Lerner on this issue, click here ... (pdf file)

OAK RIDGE ENVIRONMENTAL PEACE ALLIANCE VIGIL ON HIROSHIMA DAY, AUGUST 6, 2007 - VIDEO

Wes Rehberg — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 13:08:00 GMT

The Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance (OREPA) conducted a vigil at the site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where the atomic bombs used in Hiroshima and Nagasaki were conceived and manufactured. A ten-minute video of the vigil at Building Y-12 can be viewed blow, Google-ized version ... A downloadable mp4 file of the vigil is available at this Wild Clearing web page ...

VETERANS' RARE CANCERS RAISE FEARS OF TOXIC [AND RADIOACTIVE] BATTLEFIELD

Wes Rehberg — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 14:31:00 GMT

The following article appeared in the NY SUN and was forwarded by those deeply concerned by the use of depleted uranium munitions:

Veterans' Rare Cancers Raise Fears of Toxic Battlefields

BY R. B. STUART - Special to the Sun
August 6, 2007
URL: www.nysun.com/article/59915

In the wake of an Iraqi official last month blaming America's use of depleted uranium munitions in its 2003 "Shock and Awe" campaign for a surge in cancer there, the Defense Department is facing an October deadline for providing a comprehensive report to Congress on the health effects of such weapons.

The report is required by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007, which President Bush signed into law last year.

The request for the study is an outgrowth of claims by Iraq war veterans that exposure to depleted uranium and other toxic substances there has negatively affected their health and that, therefore, their illnesses should be recognized as war-related and the treatment covered by the Veterans Administration. ...

... To read the entire story, click on this link (pdf file) ...

THE DU WEAPONS PRODUCERS: FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COALITION TO BAN URANIUM WEAPONS (ICBUW)

Wes Rehberg — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 12:53:00 GMT

The International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons (ICBUW) lists on its web site companies worldwide that are engaged in the production of depleted uranium weapons. The ICBUW list is offered here as well.

DU Producers - Arms Companies.

Two U.S. companies produce large calibre "depleted" uranium tank rounds: Alliant Techsystems (120mm shells) and the former Primex Technologies, now General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (105mm and 120mm shells). Three other companies – located in France, the former Soviet Union, and Pakistan – also produce large calibre tank rounds. Alliant also produces small calibre rounds (25mm, 30mm) for guns on U.S. aircraft and fighting vehicles.

27 October 2006 - ICBUW

Aerojet
Alliant Techsystems (ATK)
BAE Systems
General Dynamics
Nexter (Giat Industries)
Pakistan Ordnance Factories

Aerojet

Aerojet is part of GenCorp, a major technology-based manufacturing company headquartered in Sacramento, California. GenCorp’s two businesses, Aerojet and Real Estate, concentrate on two principal market areas: aerospace and defense, and real estate. GenCorp’s businesses work toward the Company's vision to be "one of the most respected companies in the world."

Aerojet says that it is a leader in the development and manufacture of aerospace propulsion systems; precision tactical weapon systems; and armament systems, including warhead and munitions applications. Aerojet is the second leading provider in both the solid and liquid propulsion market areas, as well as the number one provider in the tactical segment area of solid propulsion.

Aerojet Ordnance Tennessee Inc (a subsidiary of Aerojet) manufactures DU penetrators and produces shielding and oxide from DU.
To continue reading the ICBUW report, click here ... (pdf file)
To connect to the ICBUW report at its web site, click here ...