REFERENCE TITLE: burn pits; health risks; veterans

State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-first Legislature Second Regular Session 2014

HM 2002

Introduced by Representatives Cardenas, Borrelli, Gallego, Kavanagh, Larkin, Peshlakai, Stevens, Senator Bradley: Representatives Carter, Dial, Townsend, Senator Melvin

 

A MEMORIAL

 

Urging the United States Congress to recognize significant health risks connected to open-air burn pit exposure.

 

 

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

 

To the Congress of the United States of America:

Your memorialist respectfully represents:

Whereas, during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, open-air burn pits were widely used for the disposal of waste in place of incinerators until bases became more established.  The military burned nearly everything in the open‑air burn pits, including plastic, styrofoam, electronics, metal cans, rubber, ammunition, explosives, human waste and lithium batteries; and

Whereas, in 2011, an Institute of Medicine study, requested by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, concluded that there was insufficient data to determine whether burn pit emissions had long-term health consequences.  However, some United States military personnel that were stationed near burn pits have stated that burn pit exposure has led to a litany of medical problems; and

Whereas, after careful review of the Institute of Medicine report, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs has directed the Veterans Health Administration to conduct a long-term prospective study on all adverse health effects potentially related to military deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan, including health effects potentially related to exposure to airborne hazards and burn pits; and

Whereas, congressional lawmakers passed, and President Obama signed, a bill in 2013 that creates a registry similar to the Agent Orange and Gulf War registries to help patients, doctors and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs determine the extent to which air pollution caused by open‑air burn pits has led to medical diseases among service members.

Wherefore your memorialist, the House of Representatives of the State of Arizona, prays:

1.  That the United States Congress recognize that open-air burn pits impose significant health risks and enact a presumption of a service connection between open-air burn pit exposure and subsequent illnesses that is similar to the presumption in place for exposure to Agent Orange.

2.  That the Secretary of State of the State of Arizona transmit copies of this Memorial to the President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and each Member of Congress from the State of Arizona.