In recent years, significant efforts have been made to address the needs and concerns of Veterans exposed to burn pits. The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics bill, also known as the PACT Act, is the largest expansion of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare and benefits in history, and is designed to expand healthcare services available for Veterans exposed to toxins during service. The PACT Act also requires the VA to conduct a toxic exposure screening to any Veteran enrolled in VA Health Care, which will aid in the research and understanding of long-term toxin exposure effects as the VA continues to evolve their service for Veterans.
Burn Pits and Their Impact, Explained
While the U.S. military began replacing burn pits with incinerators in 2009, in an effort to reduce toxic exposure, during military operations, including the Iraq and Gulf War, burn pits were routinely used to dispose of waste products such as rubber, paint, medical waste, human waste, and plastics. Because jet fuel was used to ignite flames, the burn pits emitted harmful toxins in the open-air space around them. Additionally, these burn pits were operated with little caution and were commonly left burning 24 hours a day. The VA has since recognized that fumes released from the burn pits can have detrimental short- and long-term effects on those exposed.
Many pollutants, such as dioxin, ash, and carbon monoxide, are produced when solid waste is burned. With enough time and exposure, these emissions can penetrate and damage almost every human organ system. The particulate matter emitted from burn pits is so tiny it can infiltrate into human bloodstream and lungs. While often going undetected at first, exposure can lead to the development of conditions such as asthma, cardiovascular disease, or certain forms of cancer. Dioxins, like particulate matter, are hazardous even at trace levels and suppress immune functioning, making it more difficult to fight off harmful bacteria.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are also known toxins released from burn pits and are now widely recognized as carcinogens and causes of neurological symptoms. With this mixture of hazardous materials permeating the open air around burn pits, many Veterans are at risk of serious health complications.
How to File a Claim for Burn Pit and Other Toxic Exposures
Traditionally, a Veteran’s medical condition must be successfully connected to their military service in order for them to receive VA disability rating. But for some conditions, the VA automatically assumes that your service caused your condition. Veterans who have the “presumptive conditions” associated with exposure to toxins do not need to complete the extra step to prove that their service caused the condition.
Under the provisions of the PACT Act of 2022, the VA now presumes that more than 20 health conditions, including several cancers and respiratory disorders, are connected to burn pits and exposure to other toxins.
If you haven’t filed a claim yet for any of these presumptive conditions, you can file a new claim online, by mail, in person, or with the help of a trained professional.
If the VA previously denied your disability claim for a condition that has since been classified as presumptive, you can submit a supplemental claim and the VA will review your case again.
Read also: What It’s Like to File a VA Disability Claim
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