Study of Injuries and Deaths Related to UXO Underway

Marpi, Saipan  The Department of Public Lands and the Department of Public Health have recently begun a study to document the history of injuries and deaths caused by UXO throughout the island of Saipan. UXO left over from WWII are routinely found around Saipan and the rest of the Northern Mariana Islands.

To date, an estimated total of 4.5M pounds of UXO have been discovered and disposed of by the military. Thousands of other UXO are suspected to remain on the island including munitions left behind by the Japanese army. The potential for UXO have caused significant delays in residential construction, as the Government still has not figured out how to effectively deal with the UXO problem.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry is providing assistance in the UXO injury study. The study will involve a review of hospital records as well as interviews with retired doctors and nurses and local residents to build a database of injuries and deaths caused by UXO.