Veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are becoming
increasingly concerned that exposure to toxins produced by burn pits during
deployments will mirror the experiences of veterans who were exposed to Agent
Orange in Vietnam. In an effort to help address these concerns, earlier this
year Congress passed the Helping Veterans Exposed to Burn Pits Act. This Act
marks the first major step by Congress to research how burn pits affected
veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, while this legislation is
another step forward in helping veterans suffering from exposure to burn pits,
a true solution for burn pit exposure is most likely still years away.
Responding to the increasing concern regarding how exposure
to burn pits is affecting veterans, this September, Congress passed the Helping
Veterans Exposed to Burn Pits Act. The Helping Veterans Exposed to Burn Pits
Act is the second piece of legislation Congress has passed to help veterans
suffering from the effects of burn pit exposure, but the first piece of
legislation that may finally provide answers regarding what conditions are
caused by burn pit exposure.
In 2013, Congress required the U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs to establish the Burn Pit Registry to identify health conditions
possibly related to burn pit exposure. While the Burn Pit Registry provided
data for use in research it did not provide funding to carry out research
regarding the data collected from the Burn Pit Registry.
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