CPTnet
14 December 2006
ROCKET CENTER, WV: Vigilers publicize threat in locally produced Depleted
Uranium
by Allen Johnson
Hundreds of passing motorists craned their necks to see signs held by
vigilers at the junction of US 220 and Maryland SR 956 south of Cumberland,
MD on 2 December 2006. The Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) delegation and
local residents held a large banner that read, "Protect Our People, Stop
Depleted Uranium, Go Green Economy." Smaller signs had messages such as,
"Support Our Troops, Stop Birth Defects, Stop Depleted Uranium," "We Pray
for All Victims of DU," and "Stop DU, Remember Agent Orange."
The vigil/press conference was held near the Alliant Tech (ABL/ATK) plant
located at Rocket Center, West Virginia (across the Potomac River from
Maryland.) CPT organized the witness to alert the public to the toxic
Depleted Uranium (DU) munitions manufactured at the plant. Prayer circles
that started and ended the press conference displayed sensitivity to the
employees' need for jobs.
In the brisk, sunny weather, local residents joined eight CPT delegation
members from Ontario, Kansas, Michigan, DC and Indiana to express concern
that DU is causing serious birth defects and cancer in civilian and military
populations in the war zones of Iraq.
"Depleted uranium weaponry was extensively used in the Gulf War and the
present Iraq conflict," according to Craig Etchison, a Vietnam Veteran and
one of the speakers at the conference.
"Indications are that US military troops have experienced exposure to DU
that will impair their health. The Iraqi civilian population has
statistically high levels of birth defects in newborns and cancers in
children," said CPT delegation member John Mueller, the other speaker at the
press conference. Mueller stated that depleted uranium is the by-product of
producing enriched uranium for nuclear weapons and energy plants. He
continued, "DU is extremely dense and flammable. As a projectile weapon, it
readily penetrates armor and sets the target on fire. DU as tank armor
repels artillery assaults."
Etchison drew parallels between the long cover-up and dangers of Agent
Orange used in Vietnam and what appears to be the present cover-up of
depleted uranium's dangers. "Exploded DU produces clouds of toxic dust with
a radioactive half-life of 4.5 billion years," said Etchison. "DU poisons
the earth and its inhabitants essentially forever. The United Nations has
condemned DU and the European Union has banned the use of DU munitions."
CPTers called on Alliant Tech/ABL to stop all DU manufacture and shipping
and all world militaries to stop using DU weapons. They also urged that the
government perform extensive unbiased testing for DU on returning U.S.
troops from Iraq and Iraqi civilian populations.
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