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𝔅𝔢𝔢𝔩𝔷𝔢𝔟𝔲𝔟𝔟𝔞's avatar

Assholes are people. Halliburton is an asshole. Therfore, Halliburton is a people. Q. E. fucking D.

𝔅𝔢𝔢𝔩𝔷𝔢𝔟𝔲𝔟𝔟𝔞's avatar

I can attest to the fact that chromic acid runs right through your pants like nothing.

𝔅𝔢𝔢𝔩𝔷𝔢𝔟𝔲𝔟𝔟𝔞's avatar

Normally, it's used it in closed systems where the water recirculates - typically in cooling systems. (It works great on steel pipes.) In the US, you get into a world of trouble just for spilling the stuff (<i>see</i> Brokovich, E.) but in Iraq, they deliberately pumped tons of it into the ground. Worrying about the environment was a bit low on Saddam's priority list.

I doubt that the Iraqis bothered to put EPA-style warning labels on the bags of dichromate, but *cough*according to the jury*cough* whoever at Halliburton was giving the orders knew better.

𝔅𝔢𝔢𝔩𝔷𝔢𝔟𝔲𝔟𝔟𝔞's avatar

What mystifies me is how US servicemen ended up providing cheap (free?) labor for private contractors who were making boatloads of money off of their work. It's hard to imagine a more crooked, Cheney-flavored arrangement than that.

Chris Grrr's avatar

Bags? A highly toxic substance... stored in... bags.

How can indemnification be universal? If they'd deliberately introduced the chromium into the drinking water, would they still be off the hook?

𝔅𝔢𝔢𝔩𝔷𝔢𝔟𝔲𝔟𝔟𝔞's avatar

They tried, but the transplant was rejected.

𝔅𝔢𝔢𝔩𝔷𝔢𝔟𝔲𝔟𝔟𝔞's avatar

Hey, you gotta respect local customs and traditions. In Iraq, I'm sure that came easy to KBR executives.

Zippy W. Pinhead's avatar

"I don't think anyone can get too high..."

then how do you explain Rand Paul?

Zippy W. Pinhead's avatar

probably a whole pallet of them...

diogenez's avatar

No bid indemnity too? What a sweet deal for KBR. Fuckers.

diogenez's avatar

Fluoride for Iraqis.

diogenez's avatar

Dick Cheney is personally responsible for shooting anyone who complains in the face.

PubOption's avatar

According to the article it was used as an anticorrosive when the water was used in oil production (fracking?) applications. Exposure to it came after the bags it was stored in burst, and the dust was spread by the wind.

SullivanSt's avatar

Now, if someone wanted to classify <em>this</em> as raping the taxpayer, well, maybe they'd have <a href="http:\/\/thinkprogress.org\/politics\/2009\/10\/07\/63367\/kbr-rape-franken-amendment\/" target="_blank">a point</a>.

Monsieur_Grumpe's avatar

Hexavalent chromium is one of the nasty compounds that Europe has banned through their RoHS directive. US companies have been reluctantly forced to eliminate the stuff in their products if they want to sell anything in Europe. See what socialism is doing to Amerika!!!!!111!

Monsieur_Grumpe's avatar

The people who make Necco Wafers?