Posts Tagged ‘KBR’
Toxic Truth: U.S. Soldier Dies of Cancer Caused by Toxic Exposure While Serving in Iraq
If ever exposure to chemicals needs to be taken seriously, it’s in a war zone. However, it seems that defense contractor KBR, working in Iraq, may have ignored the dangerous effects of a spilled chemical on the health of area soldiers.
Lt. Col. Jim Gentry had lung cancer, and passed away early in December of 2009—the first American soldier to die from exposure to a cancer-causing toxin while serving in Iraq. He commanded a 600-strong force that provided security for KBR’s refittal of the Qarmat Ali water-pumping plant, which provided water needed for oil extraction. In a lawsuit filed in 2008, Gentry and 15 others said that KBR was aware that soldiers and civilian contractors were exposed to the toxin months before they told the people working at the site.
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