Cornell Supports Veterans Exposed to Toxic Chemicals Act

The Rockland County Legislature unanimously approved a resolution sponsored by Rockland County Legislator Harriet Cornell to urge both houses of Congress to pass and President Obama to sign into law the “Helping Veterans Exposed to Toxic Chemicals Act”, legislation that would establish programs within the U.S. Department of Defense to address the health conditions of U.S. military service members that served in Afghanistan or Iraq and were exposed to harmful fumes and dust particles as a result of the military’s use of open-air waste incineration(“burn pits”) and other environmental exposures.  The proposed law defines the latter to include exposure to sand and smoke from fires or explosions occurring in Afghanistan or Iraq.

Since 2007, the military has curbed the use of “burn pits” to incinerate waste such as tires, munitions, medical waste and other hazardous materials when it became apparent that service members and others were suffering ill-health, a result of inhaling toxic fumes and dust particles from the fires.  The legislation, if passed, will direct the Secretary of Defense to establish three centers within the Department of Defense for the study, prevention, diagnosis, mitigation, treatment and rehabilitation of health conditions relating to the exposure to open pits.  The centers will be responsible to establish and oversee a comprehensive program to train health professionals to diagnose and treat the health conditions.

Legislator Cornell said, “When Americans in the military serve their country at home or abroad, facing enemies in Iraq and Afghanistan, they have often been subjected to long-lasting health problems from open-air waste incineration which leaves them desperately ill.  While the use of burn pits has been curbed, this federal law, if passed, will focus on the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of those men and women who were exposed to these environmental hazards while fulfilling their patriotic duties.”