THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Toxic smoke from open burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan may
be responsible for sickening countless Americans who served there.
Just how many veterans may have suffered cancer and other
illness caused by the burn pits remains unclear because military doctors are
not even examining service members and veterans during regular medical exams to
discover whether those who worked near the burn pits may have been affected by
the toxic smoke.
A bill that would have required such screening died in
Congress last year. Then, earlier this month, the U.S. Supreme Court declined
to hear an appeal in a lawsuit filed by service members who claim their
illnesses were caused by burn pit exposure.
Now, the Burn Pits Accountability Act has new life. Reintroduced
in the Senate by Amy Klobuchar (D. Minn.) and Dan Sullivan (R. Alaska), the
bill would require doctors performing routine exams to determine whether their
patients were exposed to toxic airborne chemicals. The Defense Department would
then determine whether these service members and veterans were stationed near
an open burn pit in Iraq or Afghanistan.
The bill was drafted after an increasing number of veterans
reported developing cancer and other illnesses after they worked near open burn
pits used to destroy everything from everyday garbage to paint and other
toxins. In many cases, the open-air burning pits were used in areas without
landfills or any other way to dispose of waste.
The anecdotal accounts of rare cancers in veterans have led
many to compare the toxic burn pits to Agent Orange, the cancer-causing
defoliant used in Vietnam.
Ohio Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown said he plans to
co-sponsor the measure to require screening.
The bill would be a good first step, but much more is
necessary. Congress should quickly pass this legislation and then move on to
expedite research into the burn pits and the toxins that may be affecting
people who worked near them.
Courts and the Veterans Affairs administration contend that
there is no evidence yet connecting burn pit exposure to the illnesses reported
by soldiers and veterans.
In the case of Agent Orange the government dragged its feet
for decades before acknowledging its responsibility and compensating victims
for birth defects and other health issues related to the chemical. The U.S.
must not repeat this mistake.
Investigating the effects of toxic burn pits in Afghanistan
and Iraq must become an urgent priority for Congress.
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