I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2410
To require certain studies regarding the health effects of exposure to depleted 
uranium munitions, to require the cleanup and mitigation of depleted 
uranium contamination at sites of depleted uranium munition use and 
production in the United States, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 17, 2005
Mr. MCDERMOTT (for himself, Mr. STARK, Mr. BROWN of Ohio, Mr. 
DEFAZIO, 
Mr. 
RANGEL, 
Mr. 
HINCHEY, 
Mr. 
GRIJALVA, 
Ms. 
SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. WEXLER, Mr. FARR, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. ANDREWS, 
Mr. FILNER, Mr. INSLEE, Mr. SERRANO, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. 
BLUMENAUER, Mr. STUPAK, Mr. HONDA, Mr. UDALL of New Mexico, 
Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, and Mr. MARKEY) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and 
in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subse-
quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To require certain studies regarding the health effects of 
exposure to depleted uranium munitions, to require the 
cleanup and mitigation of depleted uranium contamina-
tion at sites of depleted uranium munition use and pro-
duction in the United States, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Depleted Uranium Munitions Study Act’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of 
this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Findings. 
Sec. 3. Purposes. 
Sec. 4. Study of health effects of exposure to depleted uranium. 
Sec. 5. EPA studies of environmental contamination by depleted uranium. 
Sec. 6. Environmental mitigation and cleanup requirements for depleted ura-
nium.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The highest regard should be given to the 
health and safety of the members of the United 
States Armed Forces. 
(2) Depleted uranium, a toxic, carcinogenic, 
and 
radioactive 
material 
with 
a 
half-life 
of 
4,500,000,000 years, is used as an ingredient in var-
ious munitions used by the United States Armed 
Forces. 
(3) Depleted uranium munitions have been used 
by the United States Armed Forces during Oper-
ation Iraqi Freedom, during the Persian Gulf War 
in 1991, and during the conflicts in the former Fed-
eral Republic of Yugoslavia (Bosnia, Kosovo, Serbia, 
and Montenegro), with approximately 150 metric 
tons of depleted uranium being used during Oper-
ation Iraqi Freedom, approximately 300 metric tons 
of depleted uranium being used during the Persian 
Gulf War, and approximately 12 metric tons being 
used in Bosnia, Kosovo, Serbia, and Montenegro. 
(4) Among the characteristics of depleted ura-
nium munitions are that—
(A) they are pyrophoric, resulting in the 
munition burning upon impact with a target; 
and 
(B) the impact of a depleted uranium mu-
nition on a target creates aerosol particles, 
which can be inhaled. 
(5) The United States has provided or sold de-
pleted uranium and depleted uranium munitions to 
allied nations, and the armed forces of the United 
Kingdom used depleted uranium munitions during 
the Persian Gulf War in 1991. 
(6) Depleted uranium munitions have been used 
at numerous United States military installations, 
proving grounds, and testing facilities. 
(7) No definitive cause has been established for 
the various illnesses (commonly referred to as Gulf 
War Syndrome) that affect approximately 130,000 
members and former members of the United States
Armed Forces who served in Southwest Asia during 
the Persian Gulf War in 1991. 
(8) The former Iraqi Government claimed that 
depleted uranium from depleted uranium munitions 
was adversely affecting the health of Iraqis, although 
such claims have not been independently verified. 
(9) The United States Navy and the British 
Royal Navy are phasing out use of depleted uranium 
munitions, and the Canadian Navy has ceased using 
depleted uranium munitions. 
(10) It has been reported that depleted ura-
nium munitions use has proliferated to more than 
20 nations. 
(11) The 1949 Geneva Convention specifically 
outlines the precautions warring nations must take 
to avoid harming civilian populations, and it would 
be a violation of the 1977 Protocol to that Conven-
tion to cause superfluous injury or unnecessary suf-
fering to civilians, as depleted uranium munitions 
may cause. 
SEC. 3. PURPOSES. 
The purposes of this Act are—
(1) to provide for studies of—
(A) the health effects resulting from expo-
sure to depleted uranium munitions by inhala-
tion, ingestion, or injection; and 
(B) environmental contamination caused 
by depleted uranium at sites where depleted 
uranium was used in conflict, development, test-
ing, or training and at sites where depleted ura-
nium and depleted uranium munitions were 
produced; and 
(2) to require the cleanup and mitigation of de-
pleted uranium contamination at sites of depleted 
uranium munition use and production in the United 
States. 
SEC. 4. STUDY OF HEALTH EFFECTS OF EXPOSURE TO DE-
PLETED URANIUM. 
(a) STUDY.—The Director of the Agency for Toxic 
Substances and Disease Registry and the Director of the 
Center for Disease Control and Prevention shall jointly 
conduct a comprehensive study of the health effects of ex-
posure to depleted uranium munitions on uranium-exposed 
veterans and on children of uranium-exposed veterans who 
were born after the exposure of the uranium-exposed vet-
erans to depleted uranium. 
(b) URANIUM-EXPOSED VETERANS.—In this section, 
the term ‘‘uranium-exposed veteran’’ means a member or
former member of the United States Armed Forces who 
handled, came in contact with, or had the likelihood of 
contact with depleted uranium munitions while on active 
duty, including members and former members who—
(1) were exposed to smoke from fires resulting 
from the burning of vehicles containing depleted ura-
nium munitions or fires at depots at which depleted 
uranium munitions were stored; 
(2) worked within environments containing de-
pleted uranium dust or residues from depleted ura-
nium munitions; 
(3) were within a structure or vehicle while it 
was struck by a depleted uranium munition; 
(4) climbed on or entered equipment or struc-
tures struck by a depleted uranium munition; or 
(5) were medical personnel who provided initial 
treatment to members of the Armed Forces de-
scribed in paragraph (1), (2), (3), or (4). 
(c) PUBLIC HEALTH ASSESSMENT.—The Directors 
also shall jointly conduct a public health assessment of 
persons who are thought to have an epidemiological link—
(1) to any United States military installation or 
facility at which depleted uranium munitions have 
been, or currently are, used; and
(2) any production facility in the United States 
at which depleted uranium or depleted uranium mu-
nitions are currently, or have been, produced. 
(d) REPORT.—Not later than two years after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Directors shall submit 
to Congress a report on the results of the study under 
subsection (a) and the assessment under subsection (c). 
The Directors shall include in the report a list of diseases 
or conditions that are found to exist within the populations 
specified in subsection (a) and their rate of occurrence 
compared to the general population. 
SEC. 5. EPA STUDIES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINA-
TION BY DEPLETED URANIUM. 
(a) LIST OF DEPLETED URANIUM SITES IN UNITED 
STATES.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall pro-
vide to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
Agency a list of all sites in the United States where de-
pleted uranium munitions have been used or produced and 
a site-specific map of each site. 
(b) EPA STUDIES.—After receipt of the list and 
maps under subsection (a), the Administrator shall con-
duct a comprehensive environmental study of each site 
specified on the list evaluating the possible contamination
of the soil, air, water, and vegetation by depleted uranium 
at that site. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than two years after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall sub-
mit to the Secretary of Defense and the Committee on 
Armed Services and the Committee on Government Re-
form of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
on Armed Services and the Committee on Governmental 
Affairs of the Senate a report—
(1) describing the extent of contamination by 
depleted uranium at each site studied by the Admin-
istrator pursuant to subsection (b); 
(2) providing site-specific recommendations for 
the mitigation and cleanup of each such site; and 
(3) providing general recommendations regard-
ing the cleanup of sites where depleted uranium has 
been used on foreign lands. 
SEC. 6. ENVIRONMENTAL MITIGATION AND CLEANUP RE-
QUIREMENTS FOR DEPLETED URANIUM. 
(a) DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE CLEANUP PLAN.—
Not later than one year after receiving the report required 
by section 5(c), the Secretary of Defense shall develop a 
plan for the mitigation and cleanup of depleted uranium 
at those sites covered by the report. The plan shall include 
a prioritized schedule for the mitigation and cleanup of
such sites. The Secretary shall submit a copy of the plan 
to the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee 
on Government Reform of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee 
on Governmental Affairs of the Senate. 
(b) CLEANUP.—After filing the plan under subsection 
(a), the Secretary of Defense shall commence, directly or 
by contract, the mitigation and cleanup of depleted ura-
nium at each site covered by the report required by section 
5(c). The mitigation and cleanup shall be conducted in the 
manner and scope specified in the report. 
(c) APPLICABILITY
OF NEPA.—The cleanup and 
mitigation required by subsection (b) shall be carried out 
in a manner consistent with the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), notwith-
standing any exemption to any of the provisions of that 
Act for the Department of Defense or any element thereof. 
(d) PROGRESS REPORTS.—The Secretary of Defense 
shall submit annual progress reports to the the Adminis-
trator of the Environmental Protection Agency and the 
congressional committees specified in subsection (a) until 
the mitigation and cleanup of depleted uranium at those 
sites covered by the report required by section 5(c) are 
complete.
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