*UPD~TE ON THRE~T TO CO~LITION FORCES ~ND CIVILI~NS

File: 970805_DOC_224_UPDATE_ON_THREAT_01.txt
Page: 01
Total Pages: 2
                            THIS DOCUMENT MAY BE RELEASED IN ENTIRETY


PRIORITY                         U N C L ~ S S I F I E 0      ~   TOO =


P~rIU~YUW RHIP~~~2365 O831549-UUUU--RHIHD~~ RHIIM~~ RHIUF~~ RU0CH~~
RUDOH~F RUEKJCS RUHGO~~.
ZNR UUUUU
P 241834~ M~R 91
FM USCINCCENT//CCSG//
ro RUDCH~~/COMUS~RCENT M~IN//SG/G3//
RHI IM~~/COMUSM~RCENT//SG/G3//
RUHGO~~/COMUSN~VCENT/ /50/63/ /
RUDOH~F/COMUSN~VLOGSUPFOR/ /N9/N3/ /
RHIHD~~/SOCCENT DEPLOYED//SG/CDR//
RHIUF~~/USCENT~F FWD HOS ELEMENT//SO/OPNS//
RUEKJCS/JOINT ST~FF W~SHINGTON DC//J4-LRC//
BT
UNCL~S
MINIMI~E CONSIDERED
OPER/DESERT STORM//
MSGID/RRI /USCENTCOM CCSG-PM//
~MPN/SUBJECT:      *UPD~TE ON THRE~T TO CO~LITION FORCES ~ND CIVILI~NS
FROM BURNING OIL WELLS IN KUW~IT//
REF/~/RMG/USCINCCENT CCSG/O31745ZM~R91//
RMF..::S/1.  ~N   INTER-~GENCY TE~M HE~DED BY THE ENVIRONMENT~L
PROTECTION ~GENCY H~S RECENTLY COMPLETED ~N INITI~L ~SSESSMENT OF
THE ENVI RONMENT~L EFFECTS OF THE SMOKE CLOUDS EM~N~TING FROM THE
MORE TH~N 6C)O OIL FIRES BURNING IN k.UW~IT.     THE RESULTS FROM THIS
~SSESSMENT WILL EN~BLE MEDIC~L ~ND SCIENTIFIC ~UTHoRITi~s TO
DETERMINE THE POTENTI~L HE~LTH RISKS TO CO~LITION FORCES ~ND
CIVILI~NS LIVING IN THE REGION.
2.   RESULTS ~V~IL~BLE NOW OF ~IR S~MPLES T~K.EN FROM KUW~IT H~VE NOT
DETECTED ~BNORM~L ~MOUNTS OF TOXIC G~SES, SUCH ~S HYDROGEN SULFIDE


P~GE O2 RHIP~~~\\\\ UNCL~S
~ND SULPHUR DIOXIDE.
3.   S~MPLES OF P~RTICUL~TE M~TTER COULD NOT BE FULLY EV~LU~TED IN
THE FIELD ~ND H~VE BEEN SENT TO THE UNiTED ST~TES FOR ~N~LYSIS.       THE
RESULTS, WHICH WILL REVE~L THE EXTENT OF P~RTICUL~TES SM~LL ENOUGH
TO CLOG LUNGS ~ND C~USE OR ~GGR~V~TE RESPIR~TORY ILLNESS, ~RE
EXPECTED TO BE ~V~IL~BLE Ol flPR 91.
4.   THE TE~M VISITED SEVER~L CIVILI~N ~ND MILIT~RY MEDIC~L
F~CILITIES IN KUW~IT 4ND H~S NOT DETECTED flNY UNUSU~L LEVELS
OF RESPIRPiTORY COMPL~INTS IN THE CIVILI~N OR MILIT~RY POPUL~TIONS
IN THE ~RE~.
5.   IN SUMM~RY1 THERE H~VE BEEN NO TOXINS IDENTIFIED IN k.UW~IT TH~T
WILL POSE IMMEDI~TE THRE~TS TO HUM~N HE~LTH ~S 4 RESULT OF SMOKE
EM4N4TING FROM BURNING OIL WELLS.       SYMPTOMS EXPERIENCED BY
INH4BIT4NTS 4RE PRIM4RILY FROM P~RTICUL4TE M4TTER WHICH C4USES
RESPIR4TORY TR4CT 4ND CONJUNCTIV4L IRRIT4TION.       THESE EFFECTS 4RE
REL4TED TO THE DENSITY OF THE POLLUTION 4ND 4RE TR4NSIENT ~ND
REVERSIBLE.
6.   PREVENTIVE ME4SURE 4IMED 4T REDUCING EXPOSURE TO SMOKE INCLUDE


PRIORITY                         U N C L 4 S S I F I E 0