Posted on Jul 28, 2015
Ailing Vets Sue, Say Toxic Burn Pits Cost Them Their Health
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Hundreds of soldiers who've come home from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan now are battling the very companies that helped operate their base camps, claiming constant exposure to toxins from open-air burn pits has wrecked their health.
David Montoya, 44, of Farmington is one of newest litigants suing the companies. Cancer that started in his colon has spread to his lungs, and his doctor told him in February that he had about two years to live. Montoya says the cause of his cancer was contaminated water supplied by the military contractors, and from breathing in smoke from the burn pits.
Montoya filed his lawsuit last week in state District Court in Santa Fe against Halliburton Co., KBR Inc. and Kellogg, Brown & Root Services LLC. In doing so, he joined almost 250 other former and active military personnel who are suing the companies, which provided water treatment and waste disposal services in Iraq and Afghanistan. Two other soldiers from New Mexico, both in poor health, jointly filed a suit against the companies six years ago. At one point, a federal judge in Maryland rejected suits against the military contractors, but an appeals court reversed that decision. With the case alive, soldiers who are dying say they have a chance to shed light on wartime actions that placed profits over people.
Burn pits were part of the American war effort as a means of keeping bases functional. Afire constantly, they burned plastics, metals, chemicals and every form of waste, say soldiers who served at the outposts. Contaminated jet fuel often ignited the burn pits.
Read more:
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2015/07/27/ailing-vets-sue-say-toxic-burn-pits-cost-them-their-health.html
David Montoya, 44, of Farmington is one of newest litigants suing the companies. Cancer that started in his colon has spread to his lungs, and his doctor told him in February that he had about two years to live. Montoya says the cause of his cancer was contaminated water supplied by the military contractors, and from breathing in smoke from the burn pits.
Montoya filed his lawsuit last week in state District Court in Santa Fe against Halliburton Co., KBR Inc. and Kellogg, Brown & Root Services LLC. In doing so, he joined almost 250 other former and active military personnel who are suing the companies, which provided water treatment and waste disposal services in Iraq and Afghanistan. Two other soldiers from New Mexico, both in poor health, jointly filed a suit against the companies six years ago. At one point, a federal judge in Maryland rejected suits against the military contractors, but an appeals court reversed that decision. With the case alive, soldiers who are dying say they have a chance to shed light on wartime actions that placed profits over people.
Burn pits were part of the American war effort as a means of keeping bases functional. Afire constantly, they burned plastics, metals, chemicals and every form of waste, say soldiers who served at the outposts. Contaminated jet fuel often ignited the burn pits.
Read more:
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2015/07/27/ailing-vets-sue-say-toxic-burn-pits-cost-them-their-health.html
Iraq
Afghanistan
Health
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 11
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Suspended Profile
Wow - SGT Christina Wilder this sounds like a case that needs to be referred to Sen Patty Murray and Sen Maria Cantwell, and Rep. Adam Smith, for a major congressional inquiry...
Suspended Profile
SGT Jay Ehrenfeld I'm sorry you feel that way. Congressional inquiries are not always 100% effective, but Murray and Cantwell are pretty assertive when it comes to veteran's issues. It's a better location than many, being in Washington State...
SGT Jay Ehrenfeld
Rabbi,
If these yahoo take fifth they know they will not be fired and they got away with violate the laws because most of them are not in the military in the first place then turned around and denied us the benefits we earned. they will cited the laws while they are breaking the law themselves. my case the two VA employee (females) they broke the law but yet nothing will happen to them they get their money turned denied a veteran theirs.
if they invoke the fifth in front of congress then they should be remove from their position. because they are not taken responsibly for their action.
If these yahoo take fifth they know they will not be fired and they got away with violate the laws because most of them are not in the military in the first place then turned around and denied us the benefits we earned. they will cited the laws while they are breaking the law themselves. my case the two VA employee (females) they broke the law but yet nothing will happen to them they get their money turned denied a veteran theirs.
if they invoke the fifth in front of congress then they should be remove from their position. because they are not taken responsibly for their action.
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Suspended Profile
Jay, if you're having issues with VA benefits, I urge you to go to a competent Veteran Service Organization where you live for help. Because you are pre-9/11, WWP won't help you, but the DAV is extremely good at what they do. I was a service officer for about 4 years, and I know how to navigate the claims issues. Contact me offline, if you need help...
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SGT Christina Wilder what gets me about all of this is that some genius somewhere thought burning waste with diesel anywhere near (like within the same country) where soldiers are living is a good idea. It ranks right up there with using a bloody tuna as a shark repellent. The worst part is that service members are going to first suffer, then die for the lack of foresight. As for help from the VA, they are trying to solve their waiting list problem by letting people die waiting for care. Don't think that they are for one minute going to show any remorse for causing a vet to deteriorate.
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SGT Christina Wilder
I agree with you fully. Right now I am attempting to pull or veteran brothers and sisters together to help this specific vet. Concurrently I am composing a framework to publicize the problem to increase the breadth and depth of discovering a solution. We need to stick together as a military family and draw from everyone's expertise.
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This is where Preventive Medicine would come in super handy. When those burn pits are active, then Preventive Medicine should have been taking air samples to see what contaminants are in the smoke and air. But if PM was not doing those air samples, then the contracted company for environmental health should have been doing the sampling. And if these samples were taken and tested then the results should be found somewhere. If is was military PM, then US Army public Health Command will have those results. If it was a civilian contractor, then probably OSHA or where ever they were to send the results. Regardless of who did the sampling, then those results should be obtained to help better facilitate bolster the claims of exposure.
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SGT Christina Wilder
POEMS were done, however in 2006 DOD ordered they not be placed in soldiers medical records that were exposed because of the increase in Service Connection claims any random health conditions being linked. I need help advocating and getting fiscal support for this veteran. Any guidance or help would be greatly appreciated. I will be establishing a OayPal account today.
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SGT Jay Ehrenfeld
SGT Christina Wilder - If they really to mess a soldier medical records they can lose them in a heartbeat
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The VA also has a Burn Pit Registry, so I advice all to look into this too, because it court is all about proving facts and the more there is the better.
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Suspended Profile
I hope these turn into a major class action suit. But, sadly, these companies will be protected by the same politicians that sent them to do these things, and nothing will likely happen.
I hope I am surprised in a positive way about the outcome...
I hope I am surprised in a positive way about the outcome...
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I never observed that at all in 05/06 and 07/08.
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CAPT Hiram Patterson
To add, by 2007 we had some 32 or more large incinerators in Iraq and the only time I noted a burn problem was in Baquba and that was at night. Mosul did have an old burn pit and dump but they were farther south in the hills and not close to habitation. The Army did air tests at Balad and the levels of dioxins were well below OSHA exposure standards. Most bases had medical incinerators. We had many burn pit discussions when I was on the MNC-I surgeon's staff. I suspect that the bad burn pit days occurred early in the Iraq campaign. We did have a small burn pit on Blue Diamond across from Camp Ramadi in 05 that was never a problem and at Camp Fallujah in 0-6 I didn't even recall a burn pit. I can't speak for A'stan.
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SFC Richard Lee
If you never observed the open air burn pit while down range, that indicates that your living quarters was not close to it. Â I saw ours in Iraq and I could see and smell the smoke. Â But that's the least of my worries, with exposure to toxic chemicals in the states and in Europe. Â But I don't have time to sweat the small stuff, life goes on. Â There are individuals that need the health benefits more than I do. Â I'll apply when the time comes that I really needs it.
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I cannot do a screenshot but I down loaded an app from the VA called exposure Ed.
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TSgt Kenneth Ellis
SGT Christina Wilder - I don't know if it is for the android. I have an iPhone. At our base in Oman they sprayed for bugs twice a week.
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Sadly, open burn pits have been going on for a long time! During Desert Storm, also had all fumes from the fires in the oil fields that went along with who knows what else was being cooked!
Uranium rounds used are still a question, not the handling of the rounds but of the vehicles that were cleared by troops after being shot up or the souvenir collectors who had no reason to be in the vehicles!
Vietnam and on the Korean DMZ, burn barrels and I am sure some pits were used all the time in the past!
Uranium rounds used are still a question, not the handling of the rounds but of the vehicles that were cleared by troops after being shot up or the souvenir collectors who had no reason to be in the vehicles!
Vietnam and on the Korean DMZ, burn barrels and I am sure some pits were used all the time in the past!
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SGT Christina Wilder
True. Not a new issue, however a very relevant issue that needs to be addressed.
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SGT Christina Wilder
I served honey pot duty and all throughout the region during DS/DS oil fires, and other open air burn pits.
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SSG Norman Lihou
It's a damn shame that it takes law suits for our veterans to get the recognition and treatment they deserve...
It's a damn shame that it takes law suits for our veterans to get the recognition and treatment they deserve...
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