In a letter to the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs, Senators call on Administration officials to collect data that can assist medical professionals and educate servicemembers and veterans

Letter follows introduction of the Pandemic Care for Burn Pits Exposure Act

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Mike Rounds (R-SD), along with Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK), sent a letter to the Departments of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) urging the Administration to take immediate action to help ensure that servicemembers and veterans who were exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances receive the care they need during the coronavirus pandemic. The letter requests that DoD and VA ask servicemembers and veterans who test positive for COVID-19 about their prior toxic exposure history to help medical professionals better understand the potential increased risk of severe symptoms.

Earlier this month, the senators introduced the Pandemic Care for Burn Pits Exposure Act  which will require the collection of information on exposure to burn pits, which can cause respiratory illness, to ensure servicemembers and veterans who test positive for COVID-19 get the care they need.

“We write to ask the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to take immediate action to help ensure that servicemembers and veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances who may be at heightened risk of severe symptoms related to coronavirus (COVID-19) receive the care they need,” the senators wrote.

“By ensuring that each servicemember and veteran who tests positive for the virus is asked about their prior toxic exposure history during their first health assessment after the test, your agencies can work toward the collection of data that can assist medical professionals in better understanding the potential increased risk of severe symptoms that those who have served our country are facing during this public health crisis.”

The Pandemic Care for Burn Pits Exposure Act is endorsed by the Toxic Exposures in the American Military (TEAM) coalition, which consists of 30 organizations, including Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) and Wounded Warrior Project.

In April, Klobuchar and Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD) wrote a letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to take additional measures to make certain that our at-risk veterans – including those exposed to burns pits and other toxic substances – receive the care they need during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

In December 2019, Klobuchar announced that her bipartisan Burn Pits Accountability Act with Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) was signed into law as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The Burn Pits Accountability Act requires 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 will also be enrolled in the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry, unless they choose to opt out, if they were exposed to toxic airborne chemicals or stationed near an open burn pit. 

In September 2018, provisions based on the Helping Veterans Exposed to Burn Pits Act led by Klobuchar and Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) was signed into law as part of the Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, and created the Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of Excellence within the VA focused on researching the health effects associated with burn pits and treating veterans who become sick after exposure.

Full text of the letter can be found HERE and below:

Dear Secretaries Esper and Wilkie:

We write to ask the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to take immediate action to help ensure that servicemembers and veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances who may be at heightened risk of severe symptoms related to coronavirus (COVID-19) receive the care they need. By ensuring that each servicemember and veteran who tests positive for the virus is asked about their prior toxic exposure history during their first health assessment after the test, your agencies can work toward the collection of data that can assist medical professionals in better understanding the potential increased risk of severe symptoms that those who have served our country are facing during this public health crisis.

We urge DoD and the VA to implement procedures identical to those included in our Pandemic Care for Burn Pits Exposure Act (S.3868), which would require any servicemember or veteran who tests positive for COVID-19 to be asked during their next health assessment if they were previously based or stationed near an open burn pit, or were exposed to toxic airborne chemicals or contaminants. Many servicemembers and veterans are at higher risk for experiencing serious or potentially life-threatening symptoms should they contract coronavirus, and it is important that their doctors are aware of the potential adverse health impacts that burn pit exposure may have on COVID-19 patients.

More than 200,000 military personnel who served in Iraq and Afghanistan have signed up for the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry to date, and the VA estimates that over 3.5 million veterans were exposed to burn pits. These veterans were exposed to a variety of toxic substances on military bases from burn pits, and servicemembers who worked in these areas are subject to higher rates of asthma, emphysema, and rare lung disorders.

We also request that you take action to ensure that servicemembers and veterans are aware of the resources that are available to them during the pandemic. Our veterans served us on the front lines, and we must serve them with the support and resources they need when they return home.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. We look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

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