U.S. removing (toxic) waste during Iraq withdrawal

[unhappycamper]

U.S. removing waste during Iraq withdrawal
By Kim Gamel - The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Jun 14, 2010 17:24:21 EDT

BAGHDAD — The U.S. military is removing tens of millions of pounds of hazardous waste accumulated during seven years of war amid concerns about America’s environmental legacy in Iraq, officials said Monday.

Brig. Gen. Kendall Cox said the military spent $55 million last year to build two treatment centers for waste and has numerous collection centers around the country.

Officials acknowledged that the effort has begun late in the conflict that started with the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 but expressed confidence in the measures being taken to eliminate dangerous materials such as contaminated soil and old oil.

“The systems that are in place are recent in terms of disposal of waste materials,” U.S. military spokesman Maj. Gen. Stephen Lanza said. “In some cases there are seven years of materials ... that we want to make sure are accounted for properly in terms of mitigation and disposition.”

The waste cleanup effort is part of the preparations for a massive handover efforts ahead of a deadline for a full U.S. withdrawal by the end of next year.