HAVE DU WILL TRAVEL: An Interview With Ann Ham

[Guest guest]

http://lonestaricon.com/2006/Archives/09/news11.htm

 

 

 

February 28, 2006 7:42 PM

HAVE DU WILL TRAVEL

 

`There is exposure, but exposure doesn't mean that it's a threat.'

Ann Ham works in public affairs, U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion

and Preventive Medicine.

 

An Interview With Ann Ham

By W. Leon Smith

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

 

ANN HAM: I know you are on a search for information about depleted

uranium and the heath effects.

 

ICONOCLAST: Right. What prompted this is a story that came out in the

London Times last Sunday. Are you familiar with that, about the study

that Chris Busby did?

 

ANN HAM: I honestly am not. There are a lot of people doing different

studies about depleted uranium.

 

ICONOCLAST: Well, apparently, they were able to come up with some

monitoring numbers....

 

HAM: Really low, low levels?

 

ICONOCLAST: There was a spike in the radiation in the days....

 

HAM: Oh, in a certain area.

 

ICONOCLAST: There at Aldermaston...

 

HAM: It wasn't right in London, was it?

 

ICONOCLAST: I don't know, I don't have a map in front of me.

 

HAM: Yes, I did see that, but I think they determined, from what I

read in the newspaper, that it was probably the content of the soil

and someone had assumed that it had come through the air from...

 

ICONOCLAST: Shock and awe?

 

HAM: Yeah, but I don't remember all the details.

 

ICONOCLAST: Of course, I have a copy of that report, but also I have a

copy of that article that was published in the London Times and a guy

named Brian Spratt who's with the British Royal Society said that the

uranium could have come from natural uranium of soil kicked up by

shock and awe. That would indicate that it did travel. What I am

wondering is regarding depleted uranium there in Iraq, in the testing

of the troops, is that being done on a regular basis. Is that mandatory?

 

HAM: I don't think it's mandatory anywhere, but the process is when

soldiers, all troops, redeploy, or come back from deployment in

southwest Asia they are required to fill out a post-deployment health

assessment form. It asks many question about your health, but it does

have a whole series of places to bubble-in: do you think you might

have been exposed to the following. It's under exposures. And there

they list whatever they think they've been exposed to and " other " for

any other concerns. Also, after they complete this form, then the next

thing they do is see a health-care professional. This could be a

doctor. It would usually be a doctor, a health-care provider. This is

a requirement. It's been a requirement for at least two years now,

that they complete this form and turn in their concerns about exposures.

 

When anyone comes back, if they have concerns about DU exposure, they

absolutely can be tested. The Army will test them.

 

ICONOCLAST: And the Army pays for it?

 

HAM: Yes. Or the military pays for it. The DoD pays for it. And, as

you know, some states now, I don't know how they're paying for it,

but, I believe it's Louisiana, uhm...

 

ICONOCLAST: Connecticut?

 

HAM: Connecticut, and New York is working to do it, to provide testing

for all. And, you know, I'm really not clear on whether it's military

who deploy from those bases in those states or if it's from people who

are native of that state.

 

ICONOCLAST: I believe it's national guardsmen.

 

HAM: I think you're right. So, they would belong to the state. I'm not

sure who is doing that testing. I don't think we've been able to

figure that out.

 

ICONOCLAST: It's paid for by the federal govenment?

 

HAM: I don't think so. I would have to dig deeper to find that. I

don't think I know who's paying for it. I haven't followed the

Congressional proceedings. I know New York is pushing to do this right

now. I don't know how they are getting their funding to do it.

 

ICONOCLAST: Are you familiar with U.S. Army regulation 700-48, which

mandates the immediate thorough environmental remediation of DU?

 

HAM: I'm not.

 

ICONOCLAST: I believe that was approved around the first Gulf war.

 

HAM: Is it about remediation about the terrority we're in?

 

ICONOCLAST: Bascially that whenever depleted uranium munitions are

used, that clean-up follows.

 

HAM: Are you sure that it was depleted uranium?

 

ICONOCLAST: I believe it was.

 

HAM: And not simply uranium?

 

ICONOCLAST: I believe it was depleted uranium. Let's say a soldier

doesn't sign off that he was exposed. And then he gets back to the

states and health problems do occur that would indicate exposure. What

are his options at that point?

 

HAM: As far as I know, the form is not a closed loop. I believe they

could express concern and they could be tested. Is that what you're

asking?

 

ICONOCLAST: Uh, huh.

 

HAM: I know they can be tested, because I'm thinking of the national

guard in New York.

 

ICONOCLAST: Whenever they fill the form out, are they educated as to

what the possibilities of exposure are?

 

HAM: No. No. They're briefed on all kinds of medical threats. They get

a medical threat briefing as soon as they are there or before they

deploy and they are told about washing their hands and that kind of

thing, but I don't know if anyone could speak on if every single

soldier, airman, navy, got a briefing on that. I can't guarantee that

happens.

 

ICONOCLAST: Do you have any statistics as to the number of soldiers

that do claim that they were perhaps exposed to depleted uranium?

 

HAM: No, I don't.

 

ICONOCLAST: Do you know where I would find those?

 

HAM: I would have to ask around. I can ask my health physics people.

They might have a source for that. They've been working on this and

other materials a long time.

 

ICONOCLAST: From a health-care standpoint, what position does your

organization take on depleted uranium? Do you think it's a threat?

 

HAM: No. No. It's a threat as a weapon.

 

ICONOCLAST: I mean for health.

 

HAM: No. No. I do not.

 

ICONOCLAST: So you don't feel that there is exposure due to depleted

uranium?

 

HAM: There is exposure, but exposure doesn't mean that it's a threat.

I mean, I'm exposed to lots of things, like bad perfume, but it's not

a threat.

 

ICONOCLAST: Do you know how many soldiers have been treated.

 

HAM: No, no. I don't. Once again, I'll have to check other sources.

First of all, we aren't a clearinghouse for all soldiers, DoD, service

members, either before they deploy or after they deploy.

 

ICONOCLAST: Is there a clearinghouse anywhere?

 

HAM: I'll have to ask and find out. I don't know that.