Chromium Solider Poisoning Lawsuits Filed in Oregon
Tuesday, June 9th, 2009On Monday, five Oregon Army National Guard soldiers filed lawsuits in federal court in Oregon against a war contractor, Kellogg, Brown & Root (KBR), alleging that KBR knowingly exposed them to a cancer-causing chemical, chromium, during their tours in Iraq.
The soldiers allege that they were exposed to chromium at the Qarmat Ali water treatment plant in Iraq in May 2003. The soldiers were charged with protecting civilian employees working at the treatment plant, which was a key part of the Iraqi oil production.
The lawsuits allege that KBR of Houston knew the site was contaminated by hexavalent chromium, a highly toxic and long-identified carcinogen, before the solders arrived. The lawsuits claim that KBR either failed to do the required testing at the treatment plant or destroyed the records regarding treatment and further discounted soldiers’ and civilians’ bloody noses and other symptoms of chromium exposure as sand allergies.
In addition to the cases filed in Oregon, cases are expected to be brought by soldiers from West Virginia who have been exposed to chromium. Last year, 15 Indiana National Guard members who replaced the Oregon troops at the water planed filed similar lawsuits. Various KBR employees also brought cases, but their cases are being handled in arbitration.