WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK) pressed the Department of Defense (DoD) to prioritize the development of technology that would eventually eliminate the need to operate open air burn pits. The April 2019 Open Burn Pit Report to Congress outlines multiple factors that DoD uses when determining whether to continue the use of open burn pits, including the short-term nature of locations, infrastructure gaps, and limited disposal capabilities in contested environments. In the letter to Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, Klobuchar and Sullivan expressed concern that DoD is not dedicating sufficient resources to the development of alternatives to a practice that has potentially exposed hundreds of thousands of servicemembers and DoD civilians to toxic chemicals.
“Providing the necessary resources to meet the required scalability, transportability, reliability, and fuel economy necessary to eventually eliminate the need for operating any open air burn pits – even in remote locations – will enhance the force’s readiness by mitigating respiratory problems that currently limit our operations,” the senators wrote. “We acknowledge the technical difficulty in finding alternatives that work in contingency environments, but we believe that consistent, significant research and development support for finding burn pit alternatives would ensure that our servicemembers would never again be exposed to potentially hazardous smoke.”
The burning of waste on military bases has exposed many servicemembers to a variety of potentially harmful substances. Plastic, aerosol cans, electronic equipment, human waste, tires, and batteries have been thrown into open pits, often doused with jet fuel, and set on fire. As a result, many deployed soldiers have been exposed to smoke from these open-air burn pits. Health effects from exposure to chemicals found in burn pits may include cancer, neurological effects, reproductive effects, respiratory toxicity, and cardiovascular toxicity. Troops who have worked in these areas are subject to higher rates of asthma, emphysema, and rare lung disorders.
In January, Klobuchar and Sullivan reintroduced the bipartisan Burn Pits Accountability Act to require members of the Armed Forces to be evaluated for exposure to toxic airborne chemicals during routine health exams and to direct the Secretary of Defense to record and share whether servicemembers were based or stationed near an open burn pit, including any information recorded as part of the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry, the Periodic Health Assessment (PHAs), Separation History and Physical Examination (SHPEs), and Post-Deployment Health Assessment (PDHAs). Members exposed to toxic airborne chemicals or stationed near an open burn pit would also be enrolled in the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry, unless they chose to opt out. The Burn Pits Accountability Act was included in the Senate-passed Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act.
The full text of today’s letter can be found HERE and below:
Dear Secretary Esper:
We write regarding the April 2019 Open Burn Pit Report to Congress and to raise concern that the Department of Defense (DoD) is not prioritizing the development of technology that would eventually eliminate the need to operate open air burn pits.
The report outlines multiple factors that DoD uses when determining whether to continue the use of open burn pits, including the short-term nature of locations, infrastructure gaps, and limited disposal capabilities in contested environments. After considering these factors, the Department has determined that in limited circumstances some exceptions have been required. We commend the fact that there are significantly fewer burn pits in operation than there were several years ago. However, we are concerned that the Department is not dedicating sufficient resources to the development of alternatives to a practice that has potentially exposed hundreds of thousands of servicemembers and DoD civilians to toxic chemicals.
In the section discussing opportunities to phase out open air burn pits, the report states that “the Department's strategic investments are focused on providing a more lethal force, vice investment in costly support systems.” Providing the necessary resources to meet the required scalability, transportability, reliability, and fuel economy necessary to eventually eliminate the need for operating any open air burn pits – even in remote locations – will enhance the force’s readiness by mitigating respiratory problems that currently limit our operations. We acknowledge the technical difficulty in finding alternatives that work in contingency environments, but we believe that consistent, significant research and development support for finding burn pit alternatives would ensure that our servicemembers would never again be exposed to potentially hazardous smoke.
We would appreciate you providing additional information on the Department’s efforts regarding the research and development of alternative technologies to open air burn pits, particularly efforts to partner with the private sector in furthering these technologies. Additionally, we respectfully request that you continue to regularly update Congress regarding efforts to phase out the use of open air burn pits.
Thank you for your attention to this critical issue impacting the health of our servicemen and women.
Sincerely,
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