Pentagon Acknowledges Burn Pits May Pose Health Risk to Veterans
Aug 7, 2019
Legal Help for Veterans is a law firm helping veterans get the benefits they deserve.
Northville, MI (Law Firm Newswire) August 7, 2019 – In a feasibility study report released by Congress last month, the Department of Defense has acknowledged that exposure to the burn pits sometimes used at military sites to dispose of waste can have dangerous health consequences. The report stopped short of closing the burn pits and ending the practice, however.
Veterans who served in Afghanistan and Iraq have had some significant health issues as a result of the toxic smoke and byproducts of the open fires. Waste management via burn pit is only allowed when there are no other options for disposing of the waste. Currently, there are nine operating burn pits on United States military bases around the world. Seven are in Syria, one in Afghanistan, and one in Egypt.
“The practice of openly burning waste and garbage as a means of disposal is intended to be a last resort, and only temporary when used,” said James G. Fausone, lead attorney at Legal Help for Veterans. “We are seeing the health problems our veterans are coming home with after serving in areas where burn pits are used frequently.”
Thousands of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans believe they have been harmed by exposure to open burn pits. Veterans claim that the toxins released by burn pits caused their respiratory, skin, eye, gastrointestinal issues, cancers and other diseases. Unfortunately, those who suffer from illnesses they believe were caused by burn pits have faced years of disagreement regarding the cause of their health problems.
Burn pits are used to dispose of many types of waste, including food, plastics, petroleum products, munitions, chemicals, biohazardous waste and more. The potential damage caused by burn pits is influenced by what is burned, the service person’s proximity to the fire and the direction of the wind.
“Acknowledgement by the Pentagon that burn pits sometimes have dangerous health implications does not imply responsibility, but it is a step in the right direction,” added Fausone.
Legal Help for Veterans is available to help anyone who has been denied VA benefits. Contact the firm at 800-693-4800 or visit their website at https://www.legalhelpforveterans.com/.
Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC
41700 West Six Mile Road, Suite 101
Northville, MI 48168
Toll Free Phone: 800.693.4800
- VA Changes Policies Regarding Display of Religious Symbols
Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie changed the rules regarding the display of religious symbols and materials at VA facilities. The new policies will allow religious content to be displayed publicly within VA hospitals and other facilities, where and when appropriate, effective July 3. These areas may include lobbies, entrances, exits, security stations, nurses’ […] - Proposed program to give active duty service members with reproductive benefits
Under the newly proposed, fiscal year 2020, defense policy bill is a program that would let active duty military personnel freeze their eggs or sperm prior to being deployed and give new mothers a standard one-year deployment deferment after having a baby. The program would provide gamete preservation and storage services for service members who […] - New study finds link between TBI and dementia
A new study has found that experiencing a traumatic brain injury (TBI) more than doubles the risk for developing dementia later in life for veterans. The federally funded research sought to better understand how TBI affects veterans in the long term. A connection between even mild TBIs and increased dementia risk was apparent. There was […] - Getting benefits for military sexual trauma
As unfortunate as it is, many service members will experience some form of sexual assault, harassment or other trauma during their time in the military. These experiences have a profound effect on the survivor and could potentially qualify them for compensation and other benefits from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Military sexual trauma (MST) can […]
