Reply #2: no kidding....I know what you mean

[Desertrose]

from the GAO report...
http://www.fas.org/man/gao/nsiad-98-219.htm

Concern about the potential effects of chaff continues to be an issue
and has been expressed mainly by citizens and various public interest
groups. In addition, some DOD research on the effects of chaff has
expressed concerns and recommended further research. Most of the
public concerns center around its effects on human health and the
environment, including the potential for chaff particles to be
inhaled or ingested and chaff's effects on land, water, plants, and
animals.

---


Not withstanding DOD's actions, some concerns continue to be raised by
the public and federal agencies about the potentially harmful or
undesirable effects of chaff on the environment. Also, some of DOD's
studies cite additional areas where questions have been raised about
the unintended effects of chaff. DOD has not systematically followed
up on these questions or on the recommendations in these reports to
determine whether they merit additional review. Lastly, DOD
continues to retain lead-based chaff in its inventory even though
this type of chaff has not been manufactured since 1987 and is
reportedly no longer in use.

from the report, looks like they are planning to use even more....

"The continuous stream technique, called saturation chaff, may be used
by aircraft to cover a large area. By 2005 or 2006, the Army also
plans to use saturation chaff to mask vehicle and troop movements."

Hmmmmmm....