CARC PAINTING OF EQUIPMENT 15 MAY 91

File: 970107_aug96_decls5_0004.txt
Page: 0004
Total Pages: 7

Subject: CARC PAINTING OF EQUIPMENT   15 MAY 91                          

Unit: 22D SUPCOM  

Parent Organization: ARCENT      

Box  ID: BX005154

Folder Title: CARC  ISSUES                                                                                    

Document Number:         15

Folder Seq  #:         72



                                     UNCLASSIFIED





                           Army Investigates Health Risk of Paint
                                   Polk Unit Uses in Gulf

                                        by Bill Bair

                LAKE WALES - The command of the Florida National Guard said
                Tuesday he has called for an investigation into complaints
                that a Lake Wales-based unit in Saudi Arabia doesn't have
                the safety equipment needed to apply a hazardous
                ahemical-resistant paint.

                Members of the 325th Maintenance Company reported skin
                rashes and breathing problems, and one coughed up blood
                while painting thousands of vehicles with desert camouflage
                in the weeks before the invasion of Kuwait.

                They didn't complain hpcause of the importance of their
                mission. But they still are being asked to use the
                possibly carcinogenic paint under unsafe conditions while
                painting vehicles back to their original camouflage before
                shipping them to the U.S. and Germany, the member said.

                [Line Missing, apparently referring to SG Ensolin] said he
                asked the inspector general for the Third Army to investi-
                gate the unit's working conditions and expects a report back
                later this week.

                I'm certainly going to be heard from If there are Florida
                Guardsman over there that don't have proper safety
                @ ipment.h Enselin said.

                The issue emerged last month when the regular Army'& 7th
                Corps reportedly refused to take over the painting because
                they said conditions were unsafe.

                "This in a dangerous thing," said one member of the Lake
                Wales unit who is home on emergency leave. "You've got to
0 or 20 years down the
                read."

                According to accounts by relatives and two members of the
                unit who are back in Polk County:
                 -Breathing problems are not uncommon among those doing the
                work$ and there have been several cases of skin rashes.
                 -Members of the unit were not trained to paint vehicles
                and wer  "t initially t?ld of th leal    threat posed by
                the special 110 lc             a n

Document 7 f:/Week-34/BX005154/CARC ISSUES/carc painting of equipment 15 may 91:010297184315128
Control Fields 17
File Room = aug96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-34
Box ID = BX005154
Unit = 22D SUPCOM
Parent Organization = ARCENT
Folder Title = CARC ISSUES
Folder Seq # = 72
Subject = CARC PAINTING OF EQUIPMENT 15 MAY 91
Document Seq # = 15
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 = 02-JAN-1997