NguPat Elder, World BEYOND War, Okthoba 28, 2019
IHhovisi Lomhloli Jikelele woMnyango Wezokuvikela waseMelika limemezele ngesonto eledlule ukuthi lizobuyekeza umlando wePentagon wePer- and Poly Fluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) ongene emithonjeni yamanzi okuphuza kamasipala eduze nezisekelo zamasosha ezweni lonke. Ukubuyekezwa ngeke kuhlole ukusetshenziswa okungaba khona kwama-carcinogens ezisekelweni zezempi zase-US zangaphandle ze-800.
Amakhemikhali asetshenziswa kakhulu kugwebu lokucima umlilo. Zinomdlavuza kakhulu futhi ziyingozi kakhulu empilweni yomphakathi.
Lesi simemezelo siza ngemuva kwesicelo esivela ku-Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.) nabanye abafuna ukwazi “kuyoze kube nini amasosha azi ngemiphumela eyingozi ye-PFAS, ukuthi i-DOD ikhulume kanjani ngalezo zingozi kumalungu nemindeni yawo kungenzeka ukuthi ziveziwe, nokuthi i-DOD ilwenza kanjani uhlelo lwayo lokuhlola nokuxazulula inkinga.”
Sesinazo kakade izimpendulo zemibuzo ka-Kildee. Amasosha azi ukuthi i-PFAS iyabulala kusukela ekuqaleni kweminyaka yama-70 futhi mhlawumbe nangaphambili. Kwenza mehluko muni ukuthi banesikhathi esingakanani befihla lokhu? Esikhundleni salokho, uhulumeni wobumbano kufanele agxile ekuxilongeni abagulayo nokubanakekela, ukumisa ukugeleza kokungcola, nokuhlinzeka ngamanzi ahlanzekile. Ngokudabukisayo, i-DOD iyaqhubeka nokungcolisa amanzi okuphuza kuyilapho i-EPA ingeyena umlingisi.
Abantu bayafa eColorado Springs nakweminye imiphakathi yamasosha. Abantu abampofu bahlala emijondolo enemithombo eduze ne-England AFB yangaphambili e-Alexandria, e-Louisiana lapho i-PFAS yatholakala khona emanzini angaphansi kwe-10.9 million ppt, kuyilapho i-New Jersey ibeka umkhawulo wezinto emanzini angaphansi komhlaba kanye namanzi okuphuza ku-13 ppt.
U-Kildee ufuna ukwazi ukuthi i-DOD izidlulisele kanjani ngezingozi kumalungu esevisi nemindeni yawo okungenzeka adaluliwe. Impendulo elula ukuthi i-DOD ayizange ixhumane nanoma yini kunoma ubani kuze kube ngu-2016 noma ngaphezulu, futhi namuhla, amalungu amaningi ezempi, abantu abathembele, kanye nabantu abahlala ezindaweni ezisekelweni abakabi nalwazi. Ngiyazi, ngike ngakhuluma nabaningi ezweni lonke abangakaze bafanise igwebu lokucisha umlilo namanzi abangela umdlavuza abawaphuzayo.
U-Kildee ufuna ukwazi uhlelo lwe-DOD lokuhlola nokuxazulula inkinga. Kuze kube manje, i-DOD ibixazulula inkinga ngendlela yayo - ngokukhiqiza nokusabalalisa ukugeleza okuqhubekayo kwezindaba ezingamanga. Bona ucezu lwami kumkhankaso wenkulumo-ze we-DOD we-PFAS. I-Pentagon iphinde ithembele ekugwetshweni okusemthethweni okuhambisana nokufuna ukungavikeleki kombuso ngenkathi izifundazwe zimangalela isinxephezelo sohlu olude lomonakalo. I-Pentagon incike kumalungu anethonya eCongress njengoSen.
UJohn Barrasso kanye nabahlinzeki babo bemboni yamakhemikhali ukuze bakhahlele phansi
umgwaqo. Lapho, inkinga ixazululiwe.
U-Kildee kanye nabanye abamele iMichigan uDebbie Dingell (D-MI,) kanye noFred Upton bethule Umthetho Wesenzo we-PFAS ka-2019 ukuze uhlukanise wonke amakhemikhali e-PFAS njengezinto eziyingozi ngaphansi koMthetho Ophelele Wezokuphendula Kwezemvelo, Isinxephezelo, kanye Nesikweletu, owaziwa kangcono nge-Superfund. Umthetho uzodinga ukuthi i-EPA iqoke amakhemikhali e-PFAS njengezinto eziyingozi. Lokhu kungaba kuhle empilweni yomphakathi kanye nemvelo ngoba kuzophoqa i-DOD kanye
abanye ukubika ukukhishwa futhi bahlanze ukungcola abakwenzile.
AmaRiphabhulikhi eSenate aphumele obala aphikisana noMthetho Wesenzo we-PFAS, ikakhulukazi ngoba ulawula lonke isigaba samakhemikhali e-PFAS futhi ubeka ukusetshenziswa kwawo emthethweni we-Superfund. Izinguqulo zeNdlu neSenethi zoMthetho Wokugunyazwa Kwezokuvikela Kazwelonke ziyehluka kulawa maphuzu abalulekile. Sizobona.
Ngeke silindele lukhulu ehhovisi lika-Inspector General, elithole ukugxekwa yiCongress emikhakheni eminingi, ikakhulukazi ukuphatha kwalo uphenyo lokuphindiselela. Ihhovisi lisingathe izikhalo zabahlebi abangu-95,613 kusukela ngo-2013 kuya ku-2018. U-Rep. Kildee useyedwa nje.
Sibheke ukuhlanza okungase kudlule u-$100 Billion futhi amandla anamandla ezweni aqinisekisa ukuthi akwenzeki. U-Inspector General unethemba lokuthi uzoqeda ukuhlaziya ngoJanuwari. Ungalindeli okuningi.
