VetXL Q&A Chat: Environmental Exposures and Burn Pits

CPL Paula James Thanks

I too having issues w/BC I was at Desert Storm and they are still denying my cancer had nothing to do w/the burn pit I will try the VFW; for women BC is not listed as part of the study but male penial is listed so figure

PFC Sylvia Porter - I was dx with BC while on active duty. They kept me an extra nine months to treat it. Do you know any women who were dx after service that you can reach out to? They may have some helpful tips. Good luck!!

VA cannot speak to your specific claim situation in this forum due to privacy issues. If we denied your claim in the past but we now consider your condition presumptive, we encourage you to file a Supplemental Claim. We’ll review the claim again. Please contact our national call center for claim specific assistance at [login to see] so we may provide individual assistance or schedule an appointment to speak with someone at  VERA - Home (force.com). For more information on the PACT Act and how you can apply for benefits, see VA.gov/PACT.

You may be eligible for VA disability benefits if you meet both of these requirements:
(1) You have a health condition that’s caused by exposure to Agent Orange, and
(2) You served in a location that exposed you to Agent Orange

We determine eligibility based on the facts of each Veteran’s claim. VA will assume (or "presume”) that hypertension is caused by Agent Orange exposure. And we assume that Veterans who served in certain locations were exposed to Agent Orange. We refer to this as presumptive exposure. If you’ve been diagnosed with hypertension and served in a location that exposed you to Agent Orange we encourage you to file a claim now.

For more information on VA disability benefits based on Agent Orange exposure please visit https://www.va.gov/disability/eligibility/hazardous-materials-exposure/agent-orange/. We also encourage you to visit VA’s PACT Act website at https://www.va.gov/resources/the-pact-act-and-your-va-benefits/. Veterans can utilize links on the site to submit claims, and address any questions to maximize their entitlement related to the act’s recent passage. 

Your health care provider would have diagnosed your condition and noted it in your medical record. Hypertension may range from mild to severe. Mild cases may have blood pressures of 140/90 and require relatively little medication, changes in diet and or exercise. Severe cases may require the Veteran to be on multiple medications and have shown damage to the body, such as the heart or kidneys. If you have diagnosed hypertension, VA encourages you to submit a claim. If you do not know your status, you should see your healthcare provider and find out if this is an issue for you. Thank you for writing and serving our nation.

The PACT Act establishes presumptions of service connection for broad categories of conditions related to exposure to burn pits and certain other toxins. Even if you're not sure if your specific condition is covered under the PACT Act, VA encourages you to file a claim now and we will make the determination when we review your claim.

I was awarded a 10% disability 1n 2019 for tinnius and provided with a hearing aid but denied Agent Orange exposure in Viet Nam 68' 69' in the DMZ for high blood pressure which I am still being treated for by the VA. I believe I qualify now.

Cpl Richard D La Cerda - Stay on it man you rate it ,your getting screwed , this is sad,im praying for you.

Cpl Richard D La Cerda - can we all just lol, not at you Corporal, please don't be offended. The absurdity of your situation and the thousands of Vietnam-Era vets like my uncle, R.I.P, who have been denied the benefits they deserve for far too long.

Benefits will not be automatic. If we denied your claim in the past but we now consider your condition presumptive, we encourage you to file a Supplemental Claim. We’ll review the claim again. Please contact our national call center for claim specific assistance at [login to see] so we may provide individual assistance. For more information on the PACT Act and how you can apply for benefits, see VA.gov/PACT.

Prior to stents ...3 coronary artery bypasses...

Is there any answer to these questions? I too was stationed at Fort Ord in 1972 for basic training. I have COPD and high BP

The PACT Act does not cover presumptions related to groundwater contamination at Fort Ord. However, if you believe that you have a condition that is related to exposure to toxins, you are encouraged to file a claim now. Please contact our national call center for claim specific assistance at [login to see] so we may provide individual assistance or schedule an appointment to speak with someone at  VERA - Home (force.com).

Fort Ord, like many other military facilities, is a Superfund site. However, evidence to date doesn't indicate health concerns among personnel at Fort Ord. The drinking water was tested and came from uncontaminated areas, unlike at Camp Lejeune. Studies done by EPA and DoD have found contamination levels that were within the allowable safe range in the areas that provided drinking water or living space on Ft. Ord. Previous EPA reports do not indicate high contamination levels of drinking water or living areas. VA encourages Veterans who believe that military service has negatively impacted their health to file a claim. Thank you for your question and your service.

It can lead to kidney cancer. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/trichloroethylene

Thank you for your service and question. VA encourages any Veteran who believes that military service has negatively impacted their health to submit a claim. You can find more information on Trichloroethylene (TCE) at the VA website: https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/solvents/index.asp and at the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry: https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tfacts19.pdf# There is some evidence that TCE can cause kidney cancer. It can cause rashes. Surprisingly, long ago, it was used for anesthesia.

VA assumes that Veterans who served in certain locations were exposed to Agent Orange. For example, we presume exposure to Agent Orange if you served in the Republic of Vietnam between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975.  If you think you are eligible for benefits, we encourage you to apply now. For more information on VA disability benefits based on Agent Orange exposure please visit https://www.va.gov/disability/eligibility/hazardous-materials-exposure/agent-orange/. We also encourage you to visit VA’s PACT Act website at https://www.va.gov/resources/the-pact-act-and-your-va-benefits/. Veterans can utilize links on the site to submit claims, and address any questions to maximize their entitlement related to the act’s recent passage. 

Thank you for your service. VA only requires documentation that you were in Vietnam in order to presume that you were exposed to Agent Orange. VA encourages Veterans that believe their health was negatively impacted by military service to submit a claim. if you have diagnosed hypertension, you would be eligible for presumption for hypertension.

So you rated at 100% P&T now?

SSgt Greg Cronin
Yes! For all the other injuries occurred. No compensation based on acknowledgment of terminal lung disease brought on by burn pits last deployment to n Afghanistan. Dioxin found in lung biopsy. Va has not given compensation based on condition. New PACT act should change or update compensation

VA cannot speak to your specific claim situation in this forum due to privacy issues. If we denied your claim in the past but we now consider your condition presumptive, we encourage you to file a Supplemental Claim. We’ll review the claim again. Please contact our national call center for claim specific assistance at [login to see] so we may provide individual assistance .

For more information on the PACT Act and how you can apply for benefits, see VA.gov/PACT. 

As with other VBA determinations, a rating is based on disability. CB has unique characteristics that VBA will address in the VASRD. Ratings can be for service connection with 0% and this allows healthcare and monitoring for changes; with a spectrum of ratings that go to 100% for severe disability.

VA uses methods of determination that would be familiar to most any physician or pulmonary specialist. The VA Airborne Hazards Burn Pit Center of Excellence and other academic partners are looking at new methods to evaluate Veterans (and civilians, such as responders to the WTC. We hope these methods will make lung biopsy, the current standard for diagnosis, necessary only for a difficult diagnosis or determination of care.

1. A prominent condition affecting Gulf War Veterans is a cluster of medically unexplained chronic symptoms that can include such symptoms as fatigue. VA refers to these illnesses as "chronic multisymptom illness" and "undiagnosed illnesses." VA presumes certain chronic, unexplained symptoms existing for 6 months or more are related to Gulf War service without regard to cause. These "presumptive" illnesses must have appeared during active duty in the Southwest Asia theater of military operations or by December 31, 2026, and be at least 10 percent disabling.

2. Undiagnosed illnesses with symptoms may include but are not limited to: abnormal weight loss, fatigue, cardiovascular disease, muscle and joint pain, headache, menstrual disorders, neurological and psychological problems, skin conditions, respiratory disorders, and sleep disturbances.

3. We recommend you contact the VA to discuss the specific details of your case at [login to see] , through va.gov or schedule an appointment to speak with someone at VERA - Home (force.com). There are also Veterans Service Organizations that can assist. A listing of these organizations can be found here: https://www.benefits.va.gov/vso/varo.asp

4. A listing of presumptive conditions due to burn pit and toxic exposure conditions can be found online at https://www.va.gov/resources/the-pact-act-and-your-va-benefits/.

Thanks your service and question. Yes, you can use the Exposure Ed App on your smartphone, a free download from your device's app store (Android or Apple). With this smart phone application, you can go to the "conflicts" section and find exposures by conflict. Review of specific exposures, timeframe and location is also possible. Please see: https://mobile.va.gov/app/exposure-ed

VA presumes certain Gulf War era and post-9/11 Veterans were exposed to burn pits or other toxins, including Veterans who served in Iraq on or after August 2, 1990. The following conditions are considered presumptive:

These cancers are now presumptive:
Brain cancer
Gastrointestinal cancer of any type
Glioblastoma
Head cancer of any type
Kidney cancer
Lymphatic cancer of any type
Lymphoma of any type
Melanoma
Neck cancer of any type
Pancreatic cancer
Reproductive cancer of any type
Respiratory (breathing-related) cancer of any type

These illnesses are now presumptive:
Asthma that was diagnosed after service
Chronic bronchitis
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Chronic rhinitis
Chronic sinusitis
Constrictive bronchiolitis or obliterative bronchiolitis
Emphysema
Granulomatous disease
Interstitial lung disease (ILD)
Pleuritis
Pulmonary fibrosis
Sarcoidosis

If you believe that you have a condition that is related to exposure to toxic substances, you are encouraged to file a claim now. For more information, including a complete list of qualifying service locations and time periods, please visit https://www.va.gov/pact. have a condition that is related to exposure to toxins, you are encouraged to file a claim now.