Press release of 18.01.2001

ZuB requests information at the government of the Upper Palatinate over the application of radioactive ammunition on the troop exercise area Grafenwoehr by US Army, German Federal Armed Forces and armaments companies. Furthermore a global cancer study is required again.

After it is indisputable now the fact that radioactive ammunition on the troop exercise area Grafenwoehr was used by the US Army remains procuring serious effects for humans and environment. From this cause places the ZuB sieve requests against the government of the Upper Palatinate.

Like already 1999 - at that time rejected - request the ZuB the immediate veranlassung of soil examinations in the Impactarea and of target mechanisms for Apache helicopter, A10 combat bomber and Abrams tank. Special attention is to be thrown here on retired vehicles and tanks, which were used after information of the ZuB for years on the troop exercise area as targets and still in shot-up status to be available to be supposed. To be looked up uranium 236 and plutonium is, since in Switzerland was particularly proven after depleted uranium, that used depleted uranium was repaired out edited core fuel rods. This material contains the extremely toxic plutonium in tracks.

Further the ZuB wants to know whether beside the weapon systems A10 combat bomber and Abrams tank also the application of ammunition uranium-bearing (DU = depleted uranium) were possible with helicopters of the type Apache. Furthermore the ZuB wants to have exact information about the " DU accidents in such a way specified ", thus when and where which accident occurred, which unit was responsible and where the suffered average tank wrecks remained. The government is to clear up also over it from whom the tanks became to load with DU ammunition whether German civil persons employed were involved and whether these were cleared up over possible health dangers.

For the ZuB it is now at the time to stop with any Geheimniskraemerei. Therefore it requires information over it where and when ammunition uranium-bearing on the troop exercise area Grafenwoehr was stored (becomes?) and where it remained in detail. After from sets of the German Federal Armed Forces it was suggested it would insist on other German troop exercise areas the possibility that armaments companies could have tested radioactive DU ammunition, requires the ZuB information over it whether this occurred also in Grafenwoehr. Furthermore the ZuB would like to know whether the German German Federal Armed Forces had Grafenwoehr uranium ammunition ever on the troop exercise area on board military vehicles and whether this was shot. If, which loaded unit the DU ammunition into the vehicles and like the concerning about safety precautions and health dangers were informed. The ZuB requires repeats an epidemiological (epidemiology = theory of the disease happening in the population) investigation of the cancer frequency approximately around the troop exercise area and the civil persons employed of the US Army in the special for the period of the last 20 years. Under reference to suggestions of Professor Frentzel Frentzel-Beyme of the institute for prevention research and social medicine in Bremen an independent institute is to execute the investigation according to scientific criteria. Among other things the established physicians and hospitals are to be taken part, AOK, OETV, cancer research center Heidelberg and the ZuB. Thus as global a collection as possible is to be enabled and falsely negative results to be avoided. This investigation was already requested 1994 by the ZuB and by the government of the Upper Palatinate, as well as incomprehensible-proved to the state government rejected, although it was supported of more than 10 established physicians.



Requests at government of the Upper Palatinate of 18.01.2001
Uranium ammunition on the troop exercise area Grafenwoehr

Ladies and Gentlemen,

after on the part of the US Army from the ZuB the reproach raised had to be admitted to 1999 on the troop exercise area Grafenwoehr ammunition uranium-bearing to have used serious effects for humans and environment remain procuring. From this cause we place hereby the following requests. We ask for brisk answer, since this topic caused large disconcertion in sections of the population by constant masking, Dementis and revocation of the Dementis on the part of the US Army.

Request 1

We here particularly request the immediate deploy of soil examinations in the Impact area and of which are applicable target mechanisms for Apache helicopter, A10 combat bomber and Abrams tank, from retired vehicles and tanks, which were used after information of the ZuB for years on the troop exercise area as targets and still in shot-up status to be available to be supposed. To be looked up is after depleted uranium, U-236 and plutonium. Furthermore we would like information when, where and as such target vehicles became destroyed.

Request 2

We request information whether beside the weapon systems A10 combat bomber and Abrams tank also the application of ammunition uranium-bearing (DU = depleted uranium) were possible with helicopters of the type Apache. Furthermore we request information when the US Army DU had loaded ammunition on board Apache helicopters on the troop exercise area Grafenwoehr, and whether this was also ever fired.

Request 3

We request a detailed list of all accidents so mentioned with uranium ammunition on the troop exercise area Grafenwoehr. Here the particularly following information is to be contained:

- exact point in time

- exact designation of the troop unit

- took place measures concerning environmental protection: in it were German civil persons employed involved, about dangers informed and with which protection equipment equipped?

- where did the suffered average tank wrecks remain?

- where and when the tanks became to load with ammunition whether German civil persons employed were involved, whether these were cleared up over possible health dangers and which safety precautions for these persons employed were met.

Request 4

We request information where and when ammunition uranium-bearing on the troop exercise area Grafenwoehr was stored and where it remained in detail.

Request 5

We request information whether on the troop exercise area ever armaments companies tested radioactive DU ammunition. Furthermore we would like to know if necessary, where, when and in which way this occurred.

Request 6

We request information whether the German Federal Armed Forces had these ever on the troop exercise area Grafenwoehr uranium ammunition on board military vehicles and test/shot. If, where, when this occurred and by which unit which DU ammunition into the vehicles was loaded. Furthermore we request information whether and how the concerning were informed about safety precautions and health dangers

Request 7

We request again an epidemiological investigation of the cancer frequency of the population approximately around the troop exercise area and the civil persons employed of the US Army in the special. We refer in this connection to our requests from the year 1994 and the preparing investigation sketching by Professor Frentzel-Beyme of the institute for prevention research and social medicine in Bremen. These requests were incomprehensibly at that time rejected, although they were supported of more than 10 established physicians.

The investigation is to be executed by an independent institute according to scientific criteria. Among other things the following institutions are to be taken part, so that as global a collection as possible is enabled and falsely negative results is avoided:

- established physicians and hospitals

- medical set federation and public health authorities

- AOK and OETV

- DKFZ Heidelberg

- citizens' initiatives (ZuB)

We ask for as rapid and global a clearing-up as possible!