In 1954, President Eisenhower could see no reason why small nuclear weapons “shouldn’t be used just exactly as you would use a bullet or anything else.” After Agent Orange took a turn as the U.S.’ catastrophic weapon of choice against brown people and the earth, Ike’s nuclear bullet has made a stunning comeback as depleted uranium munitions.
Depleted uranium is the main waste from the uranium enrichment process for nuclear power and weapons. The process “depletes” the uranium of the desired U-235 isotopes and leaves behind higher concentrations of the heavier and more stable U-238 isotope. This depleted uranium emits about 60 percent as much radiation as naturally occurring uranium and has a half-life of 4.5 billion years, about the age of our solar system. It is about 70 percent heavier than lead and reacts violently with water.
As you might imagine, storage of this waste is a major challenge. About 95 percent of depleted uranium is stored as a liquid in steel cylinders near enrichment plants. Outside of the U.S., this spent fuel can be recycled back into the enrichment process. The U.S. opts not to do this, awaiting better plans for disposal. According to a recent April 1 congressional news release, the Department of Energy is ecstatic about the tenfold increase in uranium prices that has transformed its “depleted uranium inventory from an environmental liability into a potential $7.6 billion asset.”
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) distributes licenses for industrial uses of depleted uranium like counterbalances in airplanes and sailboat keels, shielding for radioactive materials, and porcelain for dentures. The recipient of the license “shall not introduce such depleted uranium, in any form, into a chemical, physical, or metallurgical treatment or process” aside from storage purposes, “shall not abandon such depleted uranium,” and, “shall transfer or dispose of such depleted uranium only by transfer in accordance with the provisions” of the general license.
Military contracts are exempt from these regulations. Depleted uranium weaponry has been used by the United States in the First Gulf War, in Bosnia, in Afghanistan, and now in Iraq. It is favored for armor and armor piercing weaponry because of its great density. D.U. munitions aerosolize and ignite upon impact, burning a flaming hole through metal. Among the handful of D.U. weaponry manufacturers at home and abroad are General Dynamics and Raytheon. General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems offer munitions ranging from 25 mm to 120 mm that have used in the current war in Iraq for anti-armor and anti-tank purposes (ICBUW). Raytheon’s Bunker Busters is the big sibling to these smaller uranium munitions (le Monde Diplomatique, 2002). “The fragmented, high-explosive, warhead of the TOW Bunker Buster can breach or destroy a multitude of target sets, especially in the urban environment,” advertises Raytheon. According to the International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons (ICBUW), Raytheon’s Tomahawk cruise missile also uses depleted uranium ballast. The AC-10 Warthog, the AC-130 Gunship, the “Apache” helicopter, and the Bradley fighting vehicle are all capable of dispensing rapid fire depleted uranium munitions (Sara Flounders, International Action Center, August 2003).
Inhalation, shrapnel, and contamination of wounds are the primary ways that depleted uranium enters the body. Airborne particles tend to sink quickly to the ground, but they can be carried longer distances by dust storms. These particles, spent rounds and tank carcasses may contaminate the soil, water, and plant food sources. Continued political instability and “lack of responsibility from coalition forces” has hindered broad epidemiological and environmental research, however, “reports and papers based on animal and cellular studies…have clearly shown that D.U. can act as a carcinogen; still more papers highlight its ability to damage the reproductive system and fetus, through both radiological action and its chemical toxicity” (ICBUW, Basra Epidemiological Study, 2006). This corresponds to higher cancer rates, kidney problems, and birth defects, among symptoms most noted in the Iraqi population and among American and European vets. Gulf War and Balkan Syndromes are suspected to be caused largely by depleted uranium exposure.
Advocates of a ban on uranium weapons include the International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons, the European Parliament, and the European Military Union. The U.S., the U.K., and NATO continue to take a defensive stance against international demands for a ban on depleted uranium weapons in spite of parallel concerns from veterans and active duty soldiers within their own ranks (BBC, 2001 and Flounders). This past December, the U.S. and U.K. were among the only five countries in the entire General Assembly to vote against a resolution to put the health effects of depleted uranium high on the U.N.’s agenda next year. In the meantime, the Pentagon’s army manual warns that D.U. “contamination will make food and water unsafe for consumption,” and advises all persons to wear skin and respiratory protection within 75 feet of contaminated equipment, despite the 120-degree heat (Flounders).
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