DLA Disposition Services - Iraq Waste Controversy

Iraq Waste Controversy

DLA Disposition Services has a legal responsibility for US military waste even after it has been passed on to private contractors. In 2010 an investigation by The Times newspaper in five Iraqi provinces discovered that hazardous waste from US bases was being dumped locally by subcontracted waste firms rather than transported back to the US by ship via the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr or recycled in purpose built facilities in northern and western Iraq, as required by DoD rules. Major General Kendall P. Cox Sr., responsible for engineering and infrastructure in Iraq, said: "As you know we have been here for over seven years. In that period we have accumulated several million pounds of hazardous waste… I think perhaps the lesson is that we create hazardous waste treatment centers earlier if there is a potential for us to have a long-term presence." Brigadier General Stephen R. Lanza, the US military spokesman in Iraq, said: "We take this issue very seriously and want to solve the problem. There is a variety of ways in which this could have happened. We are now putting a system into place. There is a lot of catching up to do... Those responsible for this will be punished. It is something that once brought to our attention, we take very seriously."

The owner of one Iraqi company involved in the disposal of US military waste said: "The Americans properly separate the hazardous material from the plastic and scrap metal, and then pass it on to Kuwaiti and Lebanese companies. Some of the companies then mix it back together and pass it on to Iraqi companies. That's how they get rid of things." DLA Disposition Services was not directly involved in any illegal waste disposal and was able to remove large amounts of waste from the country for proper disposal.