ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH MONITORING AND RISK ASSESSMENTS

File: 120396_jul96_decls16_0001.txt
Page: 0001
Total Pages: 2

Subject: ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH MONITORING AND RISK ASSESSMENTS            

Unit: ARCENT      

Parent Organization: CENTCOM     

Box ID: BX000420

Folder Title: NBC MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION                                                                   

Document Number:         55

Folder SEQ  #:          1





                       THE OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
                                    WASKIPISTON. *.C. 904OS4600



                                                             AP,7:
     PRODUCTION AND
        LOGISTICS


             MEMORANDUM FOR DIRECTORE JOINT STAFF

             SUBJECT: Environmental Health Monitoring and Risk Assessments
                      - Kuwait Oil Fire Smoke


                  This is to request JCS assistance in asking CENTCOM to
             collect environmental health data for use in: (1) assessing the
             acute health risks to DoD personnel exposed to the smoke from the
             Kuwait oil fires, and (2) evaluating the potential long-te=
             health risk to our personnel.

                  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is leading an
             interagency working group to determine both short and long-term
             hazards to various populations at risk; i.e., Kuwaiti and Saudi
             civilians, U.S. Embassy staff and dependents, U.S. civilian
             workers and families, and DoD military and civilian personnel.
             The EPA working group believes that there are increased health
             risks. H6wever, they cannot determine the magnitude of the risk
             with any degree of certainty without further measurements and
             surveys (Draft Interagency Interim Report - Attachment 1). The
             EPA health assessment team concluded "Current data cannot be used
             effectively in a ri.sk assessment, especially for long-to= risk"
             ,(Attachment 2).

                  The ASD(Health Affairs) has formed a Tri-Service working
             group to evaluate EPA and DoD data on potential health hazards.
             The Army Surgeon General has the DoD lead on the assessment
             (Attachment 3). Their efforts could be limited, however, because
             of the preliminary nature of the initial air sampling data from
             the EPA team.

                 Your assistance is needed to ensure a team of DoD scientists
             and engineers collects environmental health samples at DoD
             Military and civilian personnel locations for use in assessing
             the health risk to our personnel. The team would support
             CF.NTCOVIS current medical activities and conduct air monitoring
             and evaluations of risks beyond CENTCOM's capabilities. This
             monitoring would be in addition to any air monitoring done or
             planned to be done by the EPA for the State Department or the
             Governments of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. The DoD team should work
             with and share information with the EPA team to a33ure
             consistency and validity of the data.

                  We need to take aggressive action now to ensure the timely
             collection of solid scientific data in order to help establish
             DoD policies for: (1) our currently exposed personnel, and

Document 2 f:/Week-29/BX000420/NBC MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION/environmental health monitoring and risk assessm:11089615155068
Control Fields 17
File Room = jul96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-29
Box ID = BX000420
Unit = ARCENT
Parent Organization = CENTCOM
Folder Title = NBC MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION
Folder Seq # = 1
Subject = ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH MONITORING AND RISK ASSESSM
Document Seq # = 55
Document Date =
Scan Date =
Queued for Declassification = 01-JAN-1980
Short Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Long Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Permanent Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Non-Health Related Document = 01-JAN-1980
Declassified = 08-NOV-1996