Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) Calls for Investigation of Electrocutions of our Soldiers

A while back I discussed the inevitable consequence of Republican no-bid contracts for companies, like Halliburton, owned by their cronies with no oversight: the electrocution of our troops due to corporate incompetance. This is another part of the crony capitalism and the "Drown America in a Bathtub" ideology of the right wing.

The background story is this: a Halliburton subsidary, KBR, was given a no-bid contract to manage some bases in Iraq. The Republican government let them do this with no real oversight. The incompetence of this company has led to the electrocution of some of our troops due to faulty wiring. This problem was known and yet the company did nothing and continued to be awarded no-bid contracts by the Republicans. And the electrocutions have continued with no action taken.

Finally a freshman Democratic Senator, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, is calling for a formal investigation from the General Accounting Office.

I originally was going to use a Salon.com article from AP wires, but AP doesn't want me linking to their stuff anymore, so I went right to the original source (2 minutes extra work for me, less traffic to AP articles). Democratic Senator Bob Casey's letter to the GAO:

I write to request that the Government Accountability Office examine the tragic pattern of accidental electrocutions that have killed at least twelve U.S. service members serving in Iraq since 2003. My inquiry is prompted by the January 2, 2008 death of Staff Sergeant Ryan Maseth of Shaler, Pennsylvania, who was electrocuted while taking a shower in his living quarters in the Radwaniyah Palace Complex in Baghdad. According to the Army Criminal Investigation Division, Staff Sergeant Maseth died when the electricity in the shower facility short-circuited because an electric water pump on the rooftop was not properly grounded.

Recent news reports and statements from the Department of Defense in response to Staff Sergeant Maseth’s death have led me to believe that a lack of government oversight and poor contract management may have contributed to accidental deaths or injuries of U.S. personnel serving overseas. I am requesting that the Government Accountability Office provide a full history of accidental electrocution-related deaths or injuries of military and contract personnel in Iraq as well as any other military installation where such an incident occurred since 2003. In addition, I am requesting a complete and transparent accounting of the steps taken by the Department of Defense, its affiliates, and contractors to remedy existing problems and prevent future incidents of this nature from occurring. I would appreciate your formal opinion on this issue.

According to information provided by the Army and Marine Corps to the office of Representative Altmire, at least twelve service members have died in Iraq as a result of electrocutions since 2003. In October 2004, the Army issued a safety publication noting that five soldiers died from electrocution in 2004 alone and highlighted electrocution as a serious threat to soldiers in Iraq.

Following Staff Sergeant Maseth’s death, an initial investigation by the Department of Defense’s Criminal Investigative Division office found that the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) was aware of the electrical safety hazard posed by this shower facility. In 2007, DCMA contracted with Kellogg, Brown and Root Services, Inc. to perform maintenance on the building although it is unclear whether KBR or DCMA was at fault for failing to make the repair. A Defense Department spokesman said that the Pentagon has turned the matter over to the Department’s Inspector General for further investigation.

I request that the GAO urgently examine the following aspects of this case and provide its findings/recommendations as quickly as possible:

* Since 2003 when the first accidental electrocution death was reported, how many deaths or injuries from accidental electrocutions of military and contract personnel in Iraq, as well as any other military installation, have occurred?

* Has improper electrical grounding of facilities in Iraq been a cause or contributing factor in any of the twelve deaths in Iraq since 2003? Did the various investigations launched by DoD in response to these accidental electrocutions conclude that poor contract management or inaction contributed to the cause of death?

* What measures have the Department of Defense and its affiliates taken to ensure proper safety and code enforcement by contractors operating in Iraq, specifically KBR, in eliminating issues of electrical safety hazard since 2003, and after the Army safety publication was released in 2004?

* What further actions do you recommend the Department of Defense take to increase oversight on contractors charged with ensuring that facilities are up to U.S. code and ensure that avoidable dangers, such as accidental electrocution, do not occur in the future?

Thank you in advance for your prompt attention to this request. I look forward to your findings and recommendations.

Sincerely,

Robert P. Casey, Jr.