Veterans exposed to own toxic burn pits get help
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US senators approve a significant increase in health care and disability payments for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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US Marines dispose of trash in a burn pit while stopping for a sandstorm to pass during a convoy in Afghanistan (Reuters)
On Thursday, US senators approved a significant increase in health care and disability payments for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan.
US troops stationed overseas have long held the practice of using burn pits to get rid of their toxic waste. The items that went into the burn pits included batteries, medical waste, plastics, ammunition, rubber, chemicals, and even amputated body parts.
Nearly 30,000 troops filled out a survey on exposure to burn pits between April to December 2014, and data from the survey highlighted the health conditions experienced by US troops.
The most commonly diagnosed health problems were insomnia and neurological problems. Other problems included allergies, high blood pressure, lung diseases like emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and asthma.
Read more: Babies born deformed: The US' toxic burn pits in Iraq
The repercussions can cause debilitating diseases and have led to thousands of veterans' deaths.
One of those casualties, according to Biden, might be his son Beau who died of brain cancer after being deployed to Iraq in 2008. In his recent State of the Union address, Biden discussed burn pits, claiming that exposure could have resulted in the death of Beau, who was a soldier in Iraq for a year before dying of brain cancer.
The PACT Act broadens the window of eligibility for free medical treatment and assures that veterans will get disability payments for certain respiratory ailments and malignancies without having to prove that their illnesses were caused by pit exposure.
Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer stated that the nation's veterans have faced "an absurd indignity," after being neglected for too long.
According to the Department of Defense, around 3.5 million service members may have been exposed to burn pits throughout America's interferences and occupations in the Middle East and Afghanistan, and more than 200,000 veterans have registered on lists of those who came into contact with fire pits.
In 2018, the Pentagon conducted a $10 million research that found "a potential cause and effect relationship between exposure to emissions from simulated burn pits and subsequent health outcomes."
According to the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, approximately 80% of veterans' petitions to have suspected burn pit conditions recognized by the government are being denied (IAVA).
The research indicates that 82% of individuals polled have been exposed to fire pits or other harmful compounds in the air.
90% of those polled claimed they are or may be experiencing symptoms related to their exposure.
Over a ten-year period, the law will cost around $283 billion.
Before it reaches Biden's desk, it must be approved by the House of Representatives, which has already enacted its own version. This is scheduled to occur next week.
