1998 Depleted Uranium News Stories

Departments notifying people of possible depleted uranium exposure

August 12, 1998 (Washington) - The Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs are contacting veterans of the Gulf War who may have come in contact with depleted uranium. The program is designed to ensure that veterans with higher than normal uranium levels in their bodies as a result of DU exposure are identified and offered examinations.

The Pentagon's Gulf War illnesses office recently released its report on depleted uranium exposures during the Gulf War. The report points out that it was during the Gulf War that depleted uranium, in the form of armor-piercing munitions and reinforced tank armor, was first used on the battlefield. Many experts agree that depleted uranium played a key role in the overwhelming success of U.S. forces during the Gulf War; however, its chemical and radiological properties gave rise to concerns about possible combat and noncombat health risks associated with depleted uranium use. Therefore, defense officials have decided to locate and evaluate veterans who may have had been exposed to depleted uranium. (Full Story)

Depleted uranium exposure notification

August 5, 1998 (Washington) - The Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs are contacting veterans of the Gulf War that may have come in contact with depleted uranium. The program is designed to ensure that veterans with higher than normal uranium levels in their bodies as a result of DU exposure are identified and offered examinations.

The Pentagon's Gulf War illnesses office recently released their report on depleted uranium exposures during the Gulf War. The report points out that it was during the Gulf War that depleted uranium, in the form of armor-piercing munitions and reinforced tank armor, was first used on the battlefield. Many experts agree that depleted uranium played a key role in the overwhelming success of U.S. forces during the Gulf War. However, its chemical and radiological properties gave rise to concerns about possible combat and non-combat health risks associated with depleted uranium use. Therefore, Defense officials have decided to locate and evaluate veterans who may have had been exposed to depleted uranium. (Full Story)

New medical follow-up program for Gulf War veterans

August 4, 1998 (Washington) - The Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs have instituted a new medical follow-up program to evaluate veterans with exposures to Depleted Uranium (DU) which have been determined to have produced the highest resultant dosage. This program will allow scientific documentation of the presence or absence of medical effects from such DU exposures.

Approximately 300 soldiers will be contacted by the office of the special assistant for Gulf War illnesses to validate their DU exposure and to encourage them to participate in the medical follow-up program. The evaluation will consist of a complete physical examination, a DU exposure questionnaire and a 24-hour urine collection for uranium level. This program will identify veterans with higher than normal levels of uranium in their urine and provide them appropriate monitoring and follow-up, if required. Soldiers are expected to have normal levels of uranium in their urine unless they have DU fragments embedded in their bodies. (Full Story)

Depleted uranium environmental exposure report released

August 4, 1998 (Washington) - After an extensive investigation into the use of depleted uranium during the Gulf War, the Office of the Special Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses has released its report. The report finds that there is no evidence to support the claim that depleted uranium caused or is causing the undiagnosed illnesses some veterans are experiencing.

The report points out that the Gulf War was the arena for the first battlefield use of armor-piercing munitions and reinforced tank armor incorporating depleted uranium. Many experts agree that depleted uranium played a key role in the overwhelming success of U.S. forces during the Gulf War. However, its chemical and radiological properties gave rise to concerns about possible combat and non-combat health risks associated with DU use. (Full Story)