Bunker Bombs halted again as workers develop anemia again [View All]

[cyberpj]

'Bunker Buster' Bomb Production Halted Again

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (Reuters) - The plant that makes 2,000-pound (900 kg) "bunker buster" penetration bombs has stopped production for a second time after workers developed anemia due to TNT exposure, officials said on Wednesday.

Manufacture of the weapons -- heavily used in the Iraq (news - web sites) war -- was stopped on Feb. 8 after resuming a few weeks before following a lengthy production halt, said Mark Hughes, spokesman for the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant.

Blood tests in February found that 17 employees who make the weapons in McAlester had low blood oxygen levels caused by exposure to trinitrotoluene, or TNT, he said.

Production of the powerful bombs, which are designed to destroy underground structures, was stopped in August after 34 workers were found to be anemic.

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