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For the 'nam and Persian Gulf vets: · H.R.2926 which would require the VA to provide medical care to Vietnam era and Persian Gulf War veterans who were exposed to herbicides BURN PIT TOXIC EMISSIONS Update 10: When epidemiologist Shira Kramer first saw data about some 400 service members who say they were sickened by open-air burn pits in Afghanistan and Iraq, she said she was shocked to see how well their symptoms matched up with symptoms associated with toxic exposure. "I was appalled but not surprised to learn that there were so many serious adverse health effects," she said. "We know open pit burning is very dangerous." Kramer, who has a doctorate in epidemiology and co-authored a textbook about it, was invited by lawyer Elizabeth Burke to research the burn pits to compile evidence for several class-action lawsuits against military contractor KBR. The military typically disposes of waste in burn pits during contingency operations, but KBR took over burn-pit operations for the largest of the pits at Joint Base Balad, Iraq. In a memo dated 20 DEC 06, Air Force Lt. Col. Darrin Curtis, former bioenvironmental flight commander at Balad, said the chemicals to which troops there may have been exposed include: dioxin, the same chemical that made Agent Orange so toxic; benzene, an aircraft fuel known to cause leukemia; arsenic; dichlorofluoromethane, or Freon; carbon monoxide; ethyl benzene; formaldehyde; hydrogen cyanide; nitrogen dioxide; sulfuric acid; and xylene. Kramer said the mix of chemicals, and their combination with particulates such as ash and sand, may have made the problem worse. "You have a toxic brew that is … much more dangerous than individual chemicals alone," she said. "The absorption onto particulate matter then allows these chemicals not only to deeply penetrate into the lungs, but also to have a dwell time in the lungs." Air Force officials say the burn pit at Balad has been cleaned up - the 90,000 water bottles a day that were being burned are now recycled, and hazardous materials are no longer making their way to the pit. But even if the pit burned only wood and paper, the troops would still be at risk, Kramer said, noting that burning wood produces dioxin. "Uncontrolled, open burning of any of these materials represents a hazard. The symptoms can be signs of acute respiratory problems and blood cancers… Troops stationed near burn pits who began coughing and spitting up black stuff - 'plume crud,' they call it - should have served as a warning to military officials. The acute effects are a tip-off that something quite troubling is going on… Military data showing that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease cases have risen by 12,000 a year since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan began are especially troubling. ..You would not expect to see COPD in a young, healthy population … in this age range," she said. "It's extremely unusual and unexpected." [source: NavyTimes Kelly Kennedy article 13 Jul 09 ++] · H.R.1293 sponsored by Ranking member Steve Buyer (R-IN) which increases the amount of money veterans can receive for home improvements and structural alterations from home health services ($6,800 for service connected disabled veterans and $2,000 for non-service connected disabled veterans.
