By Sue Loughlin
Indiana Senators Evan Bayh and Richard Lugar are concerned about the exposure of Indiana National Guard troops to a potent toxin while in Iraq in 2003, and they are questioning the Department of Defense about it, spokesmen for the congressmen said Wednesday.
Roughly 140 civilians and members of the Guard, including members of the Jasper-based unit then known as the 1st Battalion, 152nd Regiment, were exposed to sodium dichromate at the Qarmat Ali water pumping plant near Basra in 2003.
One person from Vigo County and one person from Sullivan County were affected, according to Spc. William Henry, a spokesman for the Indiana National Guard.
Sodium dichromate, a toxin linked to cancer and serious respiratory ailments, was used at the Basra facility as a corrosion inhibitor. Indiana National Guardsman provided security at the facility.
“Obviously this is a very unfortunate situation and Senator Bayh will do everything in his power to protect Hoosier Guardsmen and provide them with the care they deserve,” said Eric Kleiman, Bayh’s spokesman in Washington, D.C. “We’re still in the fact-finding stages.”
Bayh serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee.
As soon as the senator learned about the exposure in late June, “We started making inquiries” to the Pentagon, Kleiman said.
Bayh is asking military officials about levels of exposure; whether appropriate tests were conducted on Hoosier Guardsmen who were exposed; and whether those tests were done in a timely manner.
“Hopefully, we will have some final answers here in the next week,” Kleiman said.
The next step would be to make sure that those who were at increased risk for exposure have access to full health care benefits, Kleiman said.
Sen. Lugar also is following the matter very closely, said Mark Hayes, Lugar spokesman. “We have had some correspondence with the Department of Defense.”
Lugar has written to Robert Gates, the U.S. Secretary of Defense. In the letter, he asked the military to look into the matter and “to make sure the needs of service members who might have come into contact [with the chemical] be addressed quickly,” Hayes said.
Military officials are working to make sure the affected Guardsmen have appropriate medical follow-up, Hayes said.
Barry Piatt, spokesman for Sen. Byron Dorgan — who conducted the June 20 hearing that brought the problem to light — said a small amount of sodium dichromate can be dangerous.
“It was everywhere” in the treatment facility, Piatt said. The substance was used in water to flush out oil pipes to keep them from rusting.
Indiana National Guardsmen who provided security there breathed in the toxic chemical when it became airborne, Piatt said. Dust storms made the chemical airborne.
The defense contractor that was in charge of the site, KBR, told people there was nothing to worry about, Piatt said, and the Pentagon was slow to react.
After the June 20 hearing of the Senate Democratic Policy Committee, Dorgan wrote to Secretary Gates to ask what was being done to let Guardsman know they were exposed.
“To drag their feet in notifying people is not acceptable and to mislead people about the severity of exposure is not acceptable,” Piatt said.
Dorgan contacted the Indiana National Guard in late June.
If there is exposure, prompt and early treatment can make a difference, Piatt said.
Sue Loughlin can be reached at (812) 231-4235 or sue.loughlin@tribstar.com.
