UN to help tackle Iraq pollution

[seemslikeadream]

Depleted uranium

Mr Toepfer revealed that Iraq's new government has also asked for help in clearing up hazardous depleted uranium, left by bombs used in the US-led conflicts.

Depleted uranium dust has been blamed for causing severe illness long after ammunition explodes, and became the focus of a propaganda battle under Saddam Hussein's regime.

Britain had handed over detailed maps of locations in southern Iraq where about 1.9 tonnes of depleted uranium was used in 2003, to help the clean-up, Mr Toepfer said.

"We did not get additional coordinates or information from the United States so far," he said. "We need the coordinates otherwise a study or assessment is not possible."

Unep is coordinating the whole project in cooperation with the Iraqi government as part of a wider $4.7m scheme funded by donors including Japan, Germany and Britain.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3656354.stm

[whistle]

1. Hummm, and just how do they expect to accomplish that?

...Depleted uranium won't be easy to find and even when they find it they aren't going to be able to sweep the stuff up or wash it away. Now women and babies will have DU all through their systems. This is a terrible human tragedy brought on by the war mongers.

[CHIMO]

2. In The Article

The UN will help in toxic pollution. The request for depleted uranium is not included in the present plan.
One has to read read the article to understand the headline. As this is an open site it is quite easy to do.

[whistle]

3. You mean this part....

...."Britain had handed over detailed maps of locations in southern Iraq where about 1.9 tonnes of depleted uranium was used in 2003, to help the clean-up, Mr Toepfer said.

"We did not get additional coordinates or information from the United States so far," he said. "We need the coordinates otherwise a study or assessment is not possible."

Unep is coordinating the whole project in cooperation with the Iraqi government as part of a wider $4.7m scheme funded by donors including Japan, Germany and Britain. "

It says Britain has maps and an accounting of 1.9 tonnes (tonne=2,200lbs) of DU to help. They will also provide $4.7million ($4,700,000.00 or $1124.40 per lb for the clean-up). That may be a nice start, but when the Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in 1990 in Alaska, literally billions of dollars have been spent on that clean-up where the toxic pollution could easily be identified, gathered and absorbed. This substance, DU, is invisible and without special equipment and trained technicians, the job will be horrendous.

Besides, The British are meticulous in their record keeping so I'm inclined to believe that their maps and information will have credibility. The U.S. military on the other-hand, if Abu Graibe prison is any indication, will have dropped massive amounts of DU, on thousands of sites and I doubt seriously that any records or trails of this stuff will be of sufficient completeness or accuracy to readily and pro-actively locate the spent DU particles. We will however, be able to engage the Iraqis in a reactive cleanup effort, where each time a luminous toxin patient or victim is discovered, our assistance will be rushed to the scene to determine if the cause was U.S. DU, British DU, pre-free Iraq Saddam mischief or sources of unknown determination!

[CHIMO]

4. Not Exactly

The headline was about pollution. The depleted uranium part was a separate section.

"Mr Toepfer revealed that Iraq's new government has also asked for help in clearing up hazardous depleted uranium, left by bombs used in the US-led conflicts."

It did not seem to be part of the headline.

"In a separate plan, it also hopes to analyse sites that may be polluted by excessive levels of depleted uranium."