Monday, Dec. 14, 1998 | 9:37 a.m.
The military insists the material isn't harmful, but the report by the General Accounting Office concludes its health effects are unknown and more studies are needed. The GAO is the investigative arm of Congress.
"I was disappointed that the study was not as conclusive as I thought it should be," said U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., who requested the study last year after hearing complaints about chaff from state officials, rural Nevada residents and the Rural Alliance for Military Accountability.
Grace Potorti, director of the Nevada-based military watchdog group, agreed: "We're back where we started. We still want monitors out in the field and we still want an independent analysis of health concerns."
Chaff, made of tiny fibers of aluminum-covered fiberglass, is dropped by military aircraft to confuse enemy radar systems. Tons of the stuff have been dropped over Nevada, mostly by jets from the Fallon Naval Air Station.
Once it reaches the ground, chaff breaks down into particles small enough to inhale. Rural Nevadans complain it's frequently dropped over their homes, but they have no idea if it's safe.
While the military is expected to use more chaff in future training, the Fallon base is using much less, due in part to the public perception of its danger, said spokeswoman Anne McMillin.
The GAO report revealed that the military used 2 million 6- to 7-ounce bundles of chaff in 1996 and 1.8 million bundles in 1997.
However, the Fallon base used 13,212 bundles in 1997, down from 92,129 in 1996.
"That trend will continue," McMillin said. "The Navy is aware of the public's concerns over chaff. We are using it more judiciously."
Reid said he also was pleased the GAO report has spurred military plans to use a biodegradable chaff in the future. The Navy is developing such a chaff that could be in use by 2001.
But Potorti expressed concern over a new finding in the GAO report that some chaff is made of toxic lead foil, not aluminum fibers. No lead chaff has been produced since 1987, but the scope of its use is unknown.
"The report says the military was dropping lead fibers that can be inhaled all over the nation," she said. "How long were they doing that? How much was dropped? When did they stop if they ever stopped? Those questions remain unanswered."
At the urging of the GAO, the Pentagon has agreed to dispose of lead chaff and to study the issue further. But some rural Nevadans don't think the military should do the study.
"An independent investigation would be the way to go," said Joe Dahl of Fallon. "Let's not have the fox looking after the hen house."
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