While this document outlines the health risks to those who were deployed to Balad AB (LSAA), it is relevant to the George AFB personnel and their family members. George AFB had several burn pits and two old style incinerators. The known carcinogens and respiratory sensitizers released into the atmosphere by the burn pits and incinerators present both acute and chronic health hazards to civilians, and military personnel and their family members.
“A list of possible contaminants includes: acetaldehyde, acrolein, arsenic, benzene, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, dichiorofluoromethane [dichlorofluoromethane], ethylbenzene, formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen fluoride, various metals, nitrogen dioxide, phosgene, sulfuric acid, sulfur dioxide, toluene, trichloroethane, trochloropropane [trichloropropane], and xylene.”
Source: Burn Pit Health Hazards Memo – 20 December 2006 – Air Force
Dioxins
This memo does not mention dioxins, it is a well-documented fact that the major contributors of dioxins in the environment are the Incineration of Municipal Solid Waste and Incineration of Medical Waste. Source
What are the Health Effects Associated with Exposure to Dioxins?
Dioxin Airborne Toxic Control Measure for Medical Waste Incinerators
OEHAA’s report on dioxin health effects for children Important!
World Health Organization (WHO)
Incinerators
Old Incinerator Building
There are four references to an old incinerator building in the administrative record. “Herbicides and other pesticides were stored in the old incinerator building near the sewage treatment plant until 1968…” and “Pesticides were originally stored in the old incinerator building until 1968…”
Source accessed on: 14 July 2012 GEORG_AR_3.pdf, GEORG_AR_525.pdf, GEORG_AR_572.pdf, and GEORG_AR_613.pdf
Hospital Incinerator
“The hospital incinerator was active from 1963 to 1992; however, in 1989 the incinerator was inoperative and sharps were burned at the fire training area (IRP Site FT-i 9). In the past, hospital wastes were disposed of and burned at a waste burn pit at the fire training area. This area has been designated IRP Site FT-i9 and is currently undergoing an Rl/FS (see Section 3.3.2).”
Source accessed on: 14 July 2012 GEORG_AR_817.pdf
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