KBR’s statement on the Qarmat Ali Water Treatment Plant litigation from Heather Browne, Director of Corporate Communications:
KBR's conduct at the Qarmat Ali Water Treatment Plant was governed at all times by the terms of its contract with the United States military. This contract required the military to ensure that a work site was "benign" and free from environmental hazards before instructing KBR to begin work at a site. Contrary to the plaintiffs' allegations, the contract did not authorize KBR to conduct an initial environmental assessment, nor did it authorize KBR to provide protective equipment to the United States military. Once the contamination was identified however, KBR acted within its contractual obligations in both notifying the Army and suggesting action to remediate the site. Furthermore, the United States Army and the British Forces performed a multitude of medical and environmental tests in 2003 and concluded that there were no long term health risks associated with the soldiers' brief exposures to sodium dichromate.
It is apparent that since the plaintiffs cannot sue the Army, they are instead taking action against KBR.
News Release provided to WHAS11 News from KBR:
FACTS ABOUT SODIUM DICHROMATE AT QARMAT ALI WATER INJECTION FACILTY
It has been falsely alleged in media reports and by comments of public officials on Capitol Hill that KBR knowingly harmed employees and troops by exposing them to sodium dichromate at the Qarmat Ali Water Injection Facility in Iraq in 2003-2004. Below are key facts on the issue. Also of note is an arbitration ruling in early June that dismissed all claims alleged against KBR by Danny Langford and several other former KBR employees.
Allegation: KBR found the presence of sodium dichromate and ignored it.
Fact: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was contractually obligated to provide KBR with a work site free of all environmental hazards and war dangers prior to KBR’s commencement of work on the site. Once sodium dichromate contamination at the facility was identified, KBR notified the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and worked with them to remediate the area. Precautions were implemented by KBR to prevent exposure to those working near the contamination.
On October 23, 2003, the U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine issued an Occupational and Environmental Health (OEH) Survey and Risk Assessment Field Report which concluded that KBR’s containment had effectively minimized the chromium exposure within the compound.
Allegation: KBR was responsible for the presence of sodium dichromate at the site.
Fact: The sodium dichromate was left at the site by Iraqis who had previously worked there during the regime of Saddam Hussein.
Allegation: KBR did not properly advise soldiers of the presence of sodium dichromate or
of its dangers.
Fact: KBR posted signs in Arabic and English in and around the facility. The signage
stated that sodium dichromate is a toxic chemical. Furthermore, KBR notified the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of the presence of sodium dichromate and its
Dangers.
Allegation: Soldiers were exposed to dangerous levels of airborne chromium hexavalent,
the toxic component of sodium dichromate.
Fact: Air sample tests performed by the U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion
Preventative Medicine and the British Military and KBR showed no dangerous
levels of airborne chromium hexavalent.
Allegation: Soldiers and KBR workers suffered from nosebleeds and respiratory problems
caused by sodium dichromate.
Fact: None of the medical data support these claims. The U.S. Army Center for Health
Promotion and Preventative Medicine conducted tests on soldiers to determine whether their red blood cells showed abnormal levels of chromium hexavalent. The Center's conclusion: no soldier encountered a significant inhalation exposure while guarding the facility.
KBR maintains that it was not responsible for the presence of the sodium dichromate at the Qarmat Ali site. Further, as affirmed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine, when KBR discovered the sodium dichromate, the company immediately notified the Army and took steps to remediate the site. KBR will continue its vigorous defense in the pending litigation.
KBR is a global engineering, construction and services company supporting the energy, hydrocarbon, government services and civil infrastructure sectors. The company offers a wide range of services through its Downstream, Government and Infrastructure, Services, Technology, Upstream and Ventures business segments. For more information, visit www.kbr.com.
