IRAQ-KUWAIT: SITUATION REPORT #621 - MAJOR THREAT FROM KUWAITI OIL FIRES

Created: 3/2/1991

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

major Threat froa Kuwaiti Oil Tire*

The smoke and toxic pollutants produced by coreil vail fires in Kuwaitajor threat to the environment and fauJtan health lr;

th^^'qufva^enIt^^ij7K1 1of the world's total normal weekly eaissions of smoke and solid pollutants and have blackened the skies over Kuwait, Iraq, Iran, and Saudi Arabia.

Thetudy, which assumed favorable weatheril wetlfTres, concluded that pollution from these fires wouldhreat to the elderly, infants, and Individuals with cardiovascular or pulmonary impairments. The fires also will produce reduced visibility morailometers downwind. In fact,predicts that daylight illumination will be equivalent to about one-thousandth of normaloonlit night, five toilometers downwind, while th* study judges that there Is almost no chance of major global climatic changeesult of these fires, most of the phenomena predicteduclear winter scenario will occuregional bast*. VIS