This week, an agency official announced that 78% of disability claims related to toxic exposure to burn pits have been denied by the Department of Veterans Affairs. According to an article published by Stripes.com, “Between 2007 and 2020, VA approved disability claims related to burn-pit exposure for 2,828 veterans out of 12,582, according to Laurine…
A new project by the Center for a New American Security and the Wounded Warrior Project is aimed at helping troops calculate their burn pit exposure risk according to their location. According to an article published by MilitaryTimes, “Using the Defense Department’s own records, a team put together two maps, broken down by location, time period…
In an effort to help ill veterans apply for VA benefits, a bill was introduced last week that would recognize the health hazards that oil fires, burn pits, and other pollution sources pose. According to an article published by MilitaryTimes, “The “Veterans Burn Pit Exposure Recognition” bill, S. 2950, would declare that service members who…
During a press conference earlier this week, defense secretary Mark Esper stated that he would like to collaborate with the Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie to ensure that all who are ill as a result of environmental exposures related to service in the military have access to the care they need. According to an article published…
Lawmakers and advocates have urged new action to support those exposed to toxic burn pits that are assumed to be the cause of a long list of chronic illnesses. Today, more than 173,000 servicemembers who spent time in Iraq have signed their names onto a national government registry that tracks exposure to burn pits, oil well fires,…
Open-air burn pits the U.S. military uses to eliminate waste in Iraq is said to be the cause of thousands of troops’ presumed illnesses. According to an article published by Stars and Stripes, unexploded ordnance, metal cans, plastics, Styrofoam, rubber, paint, lubricants, even body parts and animal carcasses are added to pits and ignited with…
The Department of Veterans Affairs has announced that they will not appeal a January court ruling that will likely pave the way for “Blue Water Navy” veterans to receive Agent Orange benefits. According to an article published by Military.com, “VA Secretary Robert Wilkie told members of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee that he will recommend the Justice Department not fight the decision, handing…
This month, the Burn Pit Registry Enhancement Act was passed which will allow family members of deceased veterans to enter cause of death in the registry. This will aid the registry in becoming a useful tool for researching the health effects of toxic exposure on veterans. According to an article published by Stripes.com, “burn pits…
U.S. soldiers stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan believe that exposure to trash fires known as ‘burn pits’ has caused them to sustain long-term breathing problems and chronic illnesses. The Department of Veterans Affairs maintains that exposure to ‘burn pits’ has not been definitively linked to any long-term health effects. The VA are therefore continuing to…
