Abercrombie seeks action to defuse "offshore time bomb"
WWII chemical weapons dumped at sea raise concerns
Washington, DC -- Congressman Neil Abercrombie has asked a senior Pentagon official for detailed information on hazardous chemical weapons dumped at sea off Hawaii after World War II.
"News reports about the presence of these weapons and the hazards they pose raise some very troubling issues," said Abercrombie. "First and foremost is the question of public health and safety. We need to know the extent to which they pose a danger to ocean users and coastal communities. We also have to get a handle on the potential environmental impact, up to and including the worst case scenarios. Sea water will eventually corrode any casing, so it would be the height of folly to ignore the possibility of an offshore time bomb.
"Dealing with this problem will be a major undertaking. It will mean a lot of research into old records and probably on-site inspections to assess the hazard. It may take a cleanup effort on the magnitude of Kahoolawe to remedy the hazard. This will probably require legislative action to ensure that the resources are available.
"The decision to dump these weapons was made in a different era, at a time when the consequences were not understood in the way they are today. No one in authority now made or endorsed the dumping decision. Still, the Department of Defense and the U.S. government bear a responsibility for remedying the problem. As a ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, I will make it a priority to enact legislation to deal with the problem and communicate the urgency of this issue to the Pentagon."
Abercrombie's letter to Secretary of the Army Francis J. Harvey, dated November 7, reads:
Dear Mr. Secretary,
It has come to my attention through reports in the Hawaii media that the United States Army may have dumped thousands of tons of chemical munitions in the ocean near Oahu in the late 1940s. These weapons reportedly included Lewisite, Mustard, Cyanogen Chloride, and Hydrogen Cyanide, all of which are highly toxic materials. Information on the disposal of these chemical munitions is supposedly contained in a 2001 report by the Historical Research and Response Team of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command.
Given the potential serious health risks posed by such materials, I would like the following information provided to my office as soon as possible:
* All information in the Army's possession on the timing, location, and nature of any disposal of chemical munitions in the waters near Hawaii.
* Any information on the current location and condition of the munitions in question.
* Any information on the potential health risks to the public posed by the dumped materials.
* Any information on the potential environmental impact of the dumped materials.
In addition, in the near future I would like a briefing by the appropriate official on the status of the Army's investigation into this matter. I look forward to working with you in the future on this subject.
Sincerely,
/s/ Neil Abercrombie
Member of Congress