Investments

Bank Of America Investment Almost three-fourths of the camouflage-patterned tents, tarpaulins and jeep covers used by the United States military throughout the world are made from fabric manufactured with toxic lead compounds that can cause a variety of illnesses including cancer, according to undisputed evidence in a lawsuit being tried mostly behind closed doors in federal court.

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Investment Opportunity While the chemicals lead chromate, hexavalent chromium and trivalent chromium are prohibited by the military in the fabrics it buys, a Pentagon spokesman said last week that tests by the Army have shown that they are present in the tent fabric, though in concentrations too small to pose any risk.

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Banc Of America Investment "We determined that even though it was out there, the products were safe for continued use without restriction," said Maj. Michael Shavers, a Pentagon spokesman. "There is no risk to the troops."

$49.95 Sized to fit under your Mantra 5 tent, this Kelty nylon footprint protects your tent floor from wear and tear. Sized to fit under your Mantra 7 tent, this Kelty nylon footprint protects your tent floor from wear and tear. Made of lightweight aluminum, Kelty's NoBendium II Gold tent stakes are both strong and ultralight. Sold in packs of 6.

Banking Investment Lawyers for the plaintiff who first brought the suit say that an outside expert they hired to review the report believes that the military's tests were inadequate and inconclusive.

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Investment Solution Strategic Even though the Pentagon says the fabric poses no threat, the company that used the lead and chromium compounds in the manufacture of camouflage fabrics, the BondCote Corporation of Pulaski, Va., is being sued by the government in Federal District Court in Savannah, Ga. It is also the subject of a federal criminal investigation in Virginia.

A fun bed for a childs room, this Jr. Loft Bed Ensemble has a tent for hiding out and a slide for endless fun. This ensemble includes a headboard and footboard, rails, slide, tent frame and the bottom tent fabric.

Investment Banking Services The Justice Department, according to a document in the case, has proposed a settlement of the civil suit against the contractor by imposing a penalty of $1.7 million. Pentagon officials declined to provide a precise figure for how much business BondCote has done with the military, beyond saying it provides more than 70 percent of the camouflage fabrics used by subcontractors.

Bank Investment The discovery and investigation of the material began after a Virginia resident, Keith Ayers, filed a citizen's complaint 14 months ago against BondCote charging that it was secretly using lead chromate to lower its costs in providing camouflage fabrics to meet military specifications. Most of the filings in the suit have been sealed by the court.

Alternative Investment The suit by Mr. Ayers, who had a business dispute with BondCote, was brought using the federal False Claims Act, a law that allows private citizens to sue contractors for defrauding the government. Under the law, sometimes known as the whistle-blower's act, an individual can sue on behalf of the government and, if successful, can be rewarded with a percentage of any settlement.

Online Investment Services The law also allows the government to assume control of the lawsuit; that is what happened in the BondCote case. Mr. Ayers and his lawyers are challenging the $1.7 million figure as far too small.

Accompany Essential Investment "This was a massive fraud on the military, with the potential for serious illness," said Mike Bothwell, the Georgia lawyer who helped Mr. Ayers bring his lawsuit and who first contacted The Times about the issue.

Investment Company Mr. Bothwell asserted that Justice Department lawyers had told him they were seeking a modest settlement so as not to put BondCote out of business because they needed the company to remain a viable supplier.

Investment Management Solution "They told me flat out," Mr. Bothwell said, that if a substantially higher penalty were to be imposed, Stonebridge Partners L.P., the White Plains investment company that owns Bondcote, "will just bankrupt Bondcote and put it out of business."

Investment Management Services Mark Corallo, a Justice Department spokesman, said he would not comment on any aspect of the case.

Guide Investment Stock Paul R. Thompson, who represents BondCote, said in an interview that the company's annual revenues were about $30 million, with coated fabrics accounting for only part of that. The size of the settlement was reasonable, Mr. Thompson said, because BondCote is a small company with fewer than 140 employees.

Investment Manual Solution The fabrics come in green camouflage and tan camouflage. The lead chromate is used to help the product meet requirements for flexibility and visibility to infrared light.

Investment Stock In a brief statement, Ted Anderson, the president of BondCote, said that extensive testing demonstrated conclusively that the fabric was safe.

Essential Investment Solution "There is simply no truth to the baseless suggestions that the material poses any risk," he said.

Citicorp Investment Services In a letter to Mr. Ayers in January 2003, Mr. Anderson asserted that BondCote had not used lead chromate. The company apparently dropped that position after a May 2003 raid on its warehouse by federal agents. The company now says that the chemicals did not pose any threat and that it no longer uses them.

Fool Guide Investment Motley A Pentagon official said that procurement officials said that BondCote had acted improperly, but that there was no real harm done because the tests showed no risk.

Fidelity Investment Services According to a Sept. 30, 2003, report by an Army research agency, tests on 20 "lightly worn" tents over three months showed "low-level hexavalent chromium," a byproduct of lead chromate degradation, but at amounts far lower than would cause concern for troops living and working in them during a full year.

Investment Management A report by a toxicologist hired by Mr. Bothwell said the government report was flawed because only lightly worn tents were tested.

Francisco Investment San By Neil A. Lewis
New York Times - 3/24/2004

Topic: Military & War

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