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Thursday 10 augusT 2023

Carcinogens found at Montana nuclear missile sites as reports of

hundreds of cancers surface

Continued from Front And there could be hun- about 21,000 missileers in where they are responsi- PCBs occurred as part of
dreds more cancers of all total since the Minuteman ble for monitoring, and if site visits by its bioenviron-
In response, Gen. Thomas types, based on new data operations began in the needed, launching fields of mental team from June 22
Bussiere, commander of Air from a grassroots group of early 1960s, according to silo-based nuclear weap- to June 29 in the Air Force’s
Force Global Strike Com- former missile launch offic- the Torchlight Initiative. ons. Two missileers spend ongoing larger investiga-
mand, has directed “im- ers and their surviving fam- For some context, in the sometimes days at a time tion into the number of
mediate measures to be- ily members. U.S. general population on watch in underground cancers reported among
gin the cleanup process for According to the Torchlight there are about 403 new bunkers, ready to turn the the missile community. Dur-
the affected facilities and Initiative, at least 268 troops cancer cases reported key and fire Minuteman ing the site visits a health
mitigate exposure by our who served at nuclear mis- per 100,000 people each III intercontinental ballistic assessment team collected
airmen and Guardians to sile sites, or their surviving year, according to the missiles if ordered to do so water, soil, air and surface
potentially hazardous con- family members, have self- Centers for Disease Control by the president. samples from each of the
ditions.” reported being diagnosed and Prevention, and non- The Minuteman III silos and missile launch facilities.
After a military briefing was with cancer, blood diseas- Hodgkin lymphoma affects underground control cent- At Malmstrom, of the 300
obtained by The Associat- es or other illnesses over the an estimated 19 of every ers were built more than surface swipe samples, 21
ed Press in January showing past several decades. 100,000 people annually, 60 years ago. Much of the detected PCBs. Of those,
that at least nine current or What’s notable about according to the American electronics and infrastruc- 19 were below levels set by
former missileers at Malm- those reported numbers Cancer Society. ture is decades old. Mis- the EPA requiring mitiga-
strom were diagnosed with is that the missileer com- Minutemen III silo fields are sileers have raised health tion and two were above.
non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a munity is very small. Only based at Malmstrom, F.E. concerns multiple times No PCBs were detected in
rare blood cancer, the Air a few hundred airmen Warren Air Force Base in over the years about ven- any of the 30 air samples.
Force School of Aerospace serve as missileers at each Wyoming and Minot Air tilation, water quality and The Air Force is still waiting
Medicine launched a study of the country’s three silo- Force Base in North Dakota. potential toxins they can- for test results from F.E. War-
to look at cancers among launched Minuteman III Missileers are male and not avoid as they spend 24 ren and Minot for surface
the entire missile communi- intercontinental ballistic female military officers to 48 hours on duty under- and air samples, and for all
ty checking for the possibil- missile bases any given who serve in underground ground. bases for the water and soil
ity of clusters of the disease. year. There have been only launch control centers The Air Force discovery of samples.q

Atlanta begins to brace for the potential of a new Trump

indictment as soon as next week

Trump has said he expects
to be indicted a fourth time
by next week and has be-
gun stepping up his criticism
of Fulton County District At-
torney Fani Willis, who has
spent two years leading the
election probe into Trump
and his allies. Speaking to
supporters in New Hamp-
Barricades are seen near the Fulton County courthouse, shire on Tuesday, the Re-
Monday, Aug. 7, 2023, in Atlanta. publican former president
(AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) launched highly personal
By Kate Brumback ings “every day” to prepare attacks on Willis and called
Associated Press for a possible indictment. the 52-year-old Democrat-
ATLANTA (AP) — Donald In anticipation of poten- ic prosecutor, who is Black, Republican presidential candidate former President Donald
Trump and officials in Atlan- tial charges, his deputies “a young woman, a young Trump speaks at a campaign rally, Tuesday Aug. 8, 2023, at
ta are bracing for a new in- erected barriers last week racist in Atlanta.” Windham High School in Windham, N.H.
(AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
dictment that could come along the block in front of “She’s got a lot of prob-
as soon as next week in a the main courthouse. The lems. But she wants to indict Trump will come next week. Sept. 1.
Georgia prosecutor's in- street was closed this week, me to try to run for some Willis told law enforce- She advised law en-
vestigation into the former and parking is prohibited other office,” Trump said. ment and local govern- forcement to prepare for
president's efforts to over- on nearby streets. Those A spokesperson for Willis ment leaders in a letter in “heightened security,”
turn his 2020 election loss in measures are to remain in declined to comment on April that she expected to noting that the announce-
the state. place through the end of Trump's criticism. announce charging deci- ment of charges “may pro-
Fulton County Sheriff Pat next week, Labat's office Her office hasn't said sions by the end of the cur- voke a significant public
Labat has said he's in meet- said. whether charges against rent court term, which ends reaction.”q