I want to thank Senators Tom Udall (D. NM) and Bob Corker (R. TN) for looking into this:
http://www.chattanoogan.com/...
U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) Monday announced they have sent a bipartisan letter to Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel asking for immediate action to halt the use of open-air burn pits at two camp sites supporting Operating Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Their letter follows reports by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction that found the burn pits were utilized without need and at great danger to the health of U.S. military and civil personnel.
The letter builds on bipartisan legislation coauthored by Senators Udall and Corker and signed into law earlier this year to create a registry of service members and veterans who were exposed to toxic chemicals and fumes from open-air burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In the letter, the senators noted an April 30, 2013, Inspector General report that found evidence of the ongoing use of open-air burn pits in Afghanistan despite regulations against their use when on-base incinerators are available to dispose of and burn trash instead. The report was followed up by an "alert" letter by the SIGAR on July 11. - The Chattanoogan, 7/22/13
More below the fold.
Here's the letter Udall and Corker sent to Defense Secretary Hagel:
Here's a little background info:
http://www.kansascity.com/...
A federal watchdog agency says the U.S. military is endangering the health of troops and civilians working at the main Marine Corps base in Afghanistan by burning solid waste in open pits even as two of the base’s four incinerators – built for $11.5 million – go unused and the other two are running below capacity.
The federal Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction says in a new report that the open burning at Camp Leatherneck, in Helmand province in the far south of the country, violates Pentagon regulations and poses long-term health risks for camp personnel, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
It also said the camp was pursuing a $1.1 million contract to haul garbage to a local landfill that might not be necessary, given that the number of troops at Leatherneck has been falling as part of the massive drawdown of U.S. and NATO forces, which will leave no combat troops in the country by the end of next year. - The Kansas City Star, 7/18/13
John Sopko, the special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction, had this to say:
http://www.reuters.com/...
"The toxic smoke from burning solid waste each day increases the long-term health risks for camp personnel, including reduced lung function and exacerbated chronic illnesses, ranging from asthma to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease," Sopko wrote.
He said visits to the camp by inspectors showed its two 12-ton incinerators were being underused, and its two 24-ton incinerators were not being used at all because a contract for operation and maintenance had not been awarded.
Sopko said an analysis by his department showed the camp's waste could be fully processed by operating the incinerators 18 hours a day. He urged the generals to end the use of open-air burn pits at Camp Leatherneck as quickly as possible by ensuring the incinerators were being operated at the required capacity. - 7/11/13
The burn pits are just one example of wasteful spending and mismanagement in Afghanistan Sopko found:
http://www.usatoday.com/...
The Defense Department built a 64,000-square-foot, $34 million headquarters building in southwestern Afghanistan, even though a Marine commander said he didn't want or need it. The building has never been occupied and will likely be torn down without ever being used.
The Pentagon is spending more than $770 million to buy 18 Swiss turboprop planes and 30 Russian helicopters for Afghanistan's counternarcotics and counterterrorism air wing, despite a shortage of Afghan pilots capable of flying the aircraft and mechanics who can maintain them.
U.S. officials hired an Afghan contractor so inept that the courthouse he built was unusable. The same contractor is bidding to, yes, tear the building down.
The Pentagon hired Afghan contractors to install "culvert-denial systems" to stop the Taliban from planting explosive devices inside the culverts underneath roadways where U.S. troops travel. But contract officers rarely bothered to check on the work. The Afghan contractors often installed the grates incorrectly or not at all, contributing to the deaths of least two U.S. soldiers.
Despite repeated complaints, American contracts and money are going to about 60 Afghan contractors with ties to al-Qaeda or the Taliban, which means U.S. taxpayers could be helping to fund the enemy. - USA Today, 7/21/13
In the past, lawmakers have called on the Defense Department to create “centers of excellence” to study and treat illnesses in troops and veterans related to environmental exposures such as burn pit emissions, contaminated dust and chemicals:
http://www.militarytimes.com/...
Reps. Tim Bishop, D-N.Y., and Diana DeGette, D-Colo., introduced the “Helping Veterans Exposed to Toxic Chemicals Act,” HR 2510, on Thursday to establish three joint Veterans Affairs-Defense Department centers to study exposure-related illnesses.
Inspired by a constituent whose daughter, an Army nurse, noticed an increase in respiratory illnesses she believed were related to exposure to the fumes of open-air burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan, Bishop drafted the legislation to encourage VA and DoD to “develop innovative treatments of the illnesses … and prevent them from occurring in the future.”
“America’s painful experience with Agent Orange and Gulf War syndromes requires a proactive, comprehensive response to this clear health crisis among veterans,” he said.
Some troops have developed illnesses they believe are related to serving in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, including respiratory diseases, neurological disorders and cancers they attribute to in-theater environmental hazards. - Military Times, 6/27/13
Udall has been looking into this issue for a little while now:
http://myhighplains.com/...
Udall became an advocate for a burn pit registry after meeting Albuquerque veteran MSgt. Jessey Baca and his wife Maria. MSgt. Baca has faced a multitude of health problems believed to be associated with burn pits and has advocated for helping service members in similar situations.
The law championed by Udall and Corker mandates establishment of an open-air burn pit registry, similar to those created to track Agent Orange and Gulf War Syndrome, for individuals who may have been exposed during their service in Iraq and Afghanistan. It aims to help the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) determine to what extent air pollution caused by open-air burn pits has led to medical conditions among service members. It also includes a public information campaign to inform individuals about the registry and periodically notify registry members of significant developments associated with burn pit exposure.
The registry has not yet been established by the VA, and multiple senators have pressed the VA to accelerate its progress and increase outreach to affected veterans. Udall, a member of the Senate Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee, successfully included language in the FY 2014 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill urging the VA to detail its implementation efforts for the registry, improve and present a plan for increasing outreach to veterans and their families affected by open-air burn pits, and provide an explanation of how the VA plans to inform VA physicians about the findings of the registry to improve care for veterans. The committee's report requires the VA to present its plan within 60 days. - My High Plains, 7/22/13
Again I thank Senators Udall and Corker for looking out for our troops health on this issue. If you would like to learn more, please contact Udall or Corker's offices for more details:
Udall: (202) 224-6621
Corker: (202) 224-3344
And If you would like to get involved with Udall's 2014 re-election bid, you can do so here:
http://www.tomudall.com/