Oregon Public Broadcasting

The Inspector General for the Defense Department will look into whether members in the Oregon National Guards were exposed to toxic chemicals while on duty in Iraq. April Baer reports.

Investigative reports in the Oregonian and other papers have chronicled soldiers' health problems that appear related to sodium dichromate exposure. 

The poisoning seems to have happened at the Qarmat Ali water treatment plant. Several soldiers subsequently died of cancer.

Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined with five other colleagues to ask for an investigation. Wyden says answers are needed beyond what came out in Congressional testimony.

Ron Wyden:  "I'm hopeful they're going to provide answers for how this happened, and how to prevent this type of exposure from happening again."

Wyden says he believed the legislature may need to take action to create shields for service members, but said he'd refrain from commenting on what form any legislation should take until the inspector general's report is out.

The Department of Veterans' Affairs is also now promising a complete and comprehensive response for the soldiers.