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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 1210.015 2006-2008 SUGGESTED QUESTIONS FOR COUNCIL TO ASK ARMY for Resolution 639-08, re. Pohakuloa depleted uranium Hawai'i County Council, Tuesday, May 20, 2008, 8:30 AM Cory Harden, Sierra Club, Moku Loa Group, PO Box 1137, Hilo, Hawaii 96721 808-968-8965, mh _interpac.net Note: Please disregard my concerns about Environmental Protection Agency standards used by the Army, from my May 7 testimony. 1 may have been in error and regret any confusion. INHALABLE DU? Is the DU in hazardous, inhalable form? In November 2007 the Army said-- "We believe that the primary reason for immobilization [of the DU in Hawai'i] is due to the large particle size of the uranium and the fact that the uranium primarily exists as large metal fragments... Most DU found in the Schofield impact area is in the form of flecks and grains.. [Emphasis added. Army Information Booklet/ Depleted Uranium in Hawaii, November 2007, p. 51 Studies have... shown that the DU fragment size and the environmental conditions at the ranges in Hawaii serve to prevent migration, including by air...[p. 6] "use of the M101 spotting round would have resulted in the... DU... being deposited in large fragments..." fp. 10] But in April 2008 the Army and a scientist said-- "DU fragments have been observed throughout SBIA as discrete metal fragments and as fine particulate matter." [Emphasis added. Schofield Human Health Risk Assessment, April 2008, p. vi] "During firing, the SRB [spotting round body] struck the ground setting off an explosive charge, fragmenting the SRB." [Emphasis added. Schofield Human Health Risk Assessment, April 2008, p. 4-1] Would this create small particles? A scientist said "Probably." [Stephen Allen, Ph. D., Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Hawaii Pacific University, in May 15, 2008 e-mail to Cory Harden] "The risk is higher once it [DU] is fragmented and dispersed because it is more easily inhaled and the radiation is emitted within your body." [Emphasis added. Stephen Allen, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Hawaii Pacific University, in April 30, 2008 e-mail to Cory Harden] DISPERSAL OF DU? With incomplete records and surveys, how can every spotting round be found? "According to the Archives Search Report... training on the Davy Crockett weapons system was likely conducted at Schofield Barracks between 1962 and 1968. Although no range was specified for Davy Crockett system use in the available historical 0 documents, the ASR identified the M79 grenade launcher range as the range that was likely used based on the location of the debris in the area and the designation as a secure range. While no historical information exists upon which to fix the potential firing fan for the Davy Crockett system, field observations indicates several likely areas..." [Emphasis added. Final Characterization Report, Schofield Barracks Davy Crockett Impact Area, April 2008, p. 1-2] Gorm 1"0 d• Ref, Tai P Ref. DaI6.1~lAY 2 2008 Could practice bombs and live fire disperse DU from undiscovered spotting rounds? Why was there no monitoring for airborne DU when dummy bombs were dropped? "The Army will... continue to monitor these ranges to determine whether migration occurs." [Army Information Booklet/ Depleted Uranium in Hawaii, November 2007, p. 6] Sierra Club question--'OWas there any monitoring for airborne DU or other radioactivity during or after impacts from several 2,000-pound [dummy] bombs dropped on October 23,2007?- Army reply-- "The Army did not monitor these events." [April 15, 2008 letter from Colonel Killian to Cory Harden] A scientist agreed the quotes appear contradictory. [Stephen Allen, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Hawaii Pacific University, in April 30, 2008 e-mail to Cory Harden] Could high winds at Pohakuloa cause any fine particulate DU to become airborne? OTHER RADIOACTIVITY Is anyone searching for hazardous DU and/or radioactivity from sources besides the spotting rounds? Is anyone reviewing classified records? Is anyone reviewing records from all users of Pohakuloa? (Army, Air Force, Navy, National Guard, etc.) CHILDREN AND PREGNANT WOMEN Why were children and pregnant women not considered in the Schofield risk assessment? "Four exposure scenarios were evaluated... maintenance worker... construction/remediation worker... adult cultural monitor/ trespasser/ visitor ...site worker." [Schofield Baseline Human Health Risk Assessment for Residual Depleted Uranium, April 2008, p. vi,] A scientist agreed with this concern. [Stephen Allen, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Hawaii Pacific University, in April 30, 2008 e-mail to Cory Harden] WATER Were surface water samples taken at Schofield, or not? "Surface water samples collected to date have not detected DU." [Emphasis added Army Information Booklet/ Depleted Uranium in Hawaii, November 2007, p. 11] "No surface water was present during field activities; therefore no water samples were collected." [Emphasis added. Final Characterization Report, Schofield Barracks Davy Crockett Impact Area, April 2008, p. vi] "Sampling data from surface water samples..." [Emphasis added. Schofield Baseline Human Health Risk Assessment for Residual Depleted Uranium, April 2008, p. vi] A scientist agreed the quotes appear contradictory. [Stephen Allen, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Hawaii Pacific University, in April 30, 2008 e-mail to Cory Harden] Does surface water at Schofield go into the aquifer, or not? "...potential contamination of groundwater was considered, but not used in the risk assessment because the underlying aquifer ...is not recharged from water from the SBIA." [Emphasis added "SBIA" is Schofield Barracks Impact Area. Schofield Baseline Human Health Risk Assessment for Residual Depleted Uranium, April 2008, p. vi] "Surface runoff at SBIA during heavy rain events will pass through the unsaturated zone, in gravity-driven percolation downward into the Schofield high level aquifer. Thjs would then run off eastward, towards Lake Wilson." [Emphasis added. Schofield Baseline Human Health Risk Assessment for Residual Depleted Uranium, April 2008, p. 2-2 to 2- 3] A scientist agreed the quotes appear contradictory. [Stephen Allen, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Hawaii Pacific University, in April 30, 2008 e-mail to Cory Harden] TRANSPARENCY When will citizen requests for information be answered? Sierra Club believes Pohakuloa air testing will be the wrong type to detect airborne DU, based on news articles and a-mails from Department of Health. But we cannot evaluate this, because the Army and Department of Health have not fully responded to our written questions of November 2007. The Army has not answered our March 2008 Freedom of Information Act request re. DU.