US Soldiers Sue over Chemical Exposure in Iraq

December 3rd, 2008 - by admin

ENews – 2008-12-03 22:47:16

http://enews.earthlink.net/article/nat?guid=20081203/49361250_3421_1334520081203-1172436566

US Soldiers Sue over Chemical Exposure in Iraq
ENews

INDIANAPOLIS (December 3, 2008) — Sixteen soldiers have filed a federal lawsuit against a defense contractor they say knowingly allowed them to be exposed to a toxic chemical in Iraq.

The suit filed Wednesday against KBR Inc. in U.S. District Court in Indianapolis claims the National Guardsmen from Indiana were exposed to a carcinogen while protecting an Iraqi water pumping plant shortly after the U.S. invasion in 2003.

The lawsuit says some of the Guardsmen now have respiratory system tumors.

The lawsuit says that officials of Houston-based KBR knew at least as early as May 2003 that the plant was contaminated with sodium dichromate, a known carcinogen, but concealed the danger from civilian workers and the soldiers.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


Indiana Soldiers Sue over Chemical Exposure in Iraq
ENews

INDIANAPOLIS (December 03, 2008) – Sixteen Indiana National Guard soldiers have filed a federal lawsuit against a defense contractor they say knowingly allowed them to be exposed to a toxic chemical in Iraq.

The suit filed Wednesday against KBR Inc. in U.S. District Court in Indianapolis claims the Guardsmen from a Tell City-based unit were exposed to a carcinogen while protecting an Iraqi water pumping plant shortly after the U.S. invasion in 2003.

The lawsuit says some of the Guardsmen now have respiratory system tumors.

The lawsuit says that officials of Houston-based KBR knew at least as early as May 2003 that the plant was contaminated with sodium dichromate, a known carcinogen, but concealed the danger from civilian workers and the soldiers.

The extent of KBR’s knowledge of the hazard didn’t become clear until congressional hearings this June, the suit states.

A message seeking comment was left for a KBR spokesman.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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