[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 172 (Thursday, November 10, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S7364]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      OPEN BURN PITS REGISTRY ACT

  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. President, President Obama recently 
announced that our long war and military involvement in Iraq would be 
coming to a close.
  For nearly a decade, our armed forces served honorably in Iraq and 
got the job done. While I opposed the Iraq war from the beginning, my 
commitment to our troops and our veterans has been resolute. We must 
always remain mindful of the sacrifice and the obligations we hold to 
every veteran.
  It is because of those obligations that I rise today to speak about 
the hidden wounds facing the veterans of the Iraq and Afghan wars. 
These wounds were not caused by insurgents or terrorists, but by 
exposure to environmental pollution caused by our own open air burn 
pits.
  Open air burn pits were widely used at forward operating bases, where 
disposing of trash and other debris was a major challenge, and the 
solution that was chosen had serious medical and environmental risks. 
Pits of waste were set on fire andthey would turn the sky black. At 
this and other bases, disposing of trash and other debris was a major 
challenge, a challenge which was solved using a method fraught with 
medical and environmental risks.
  Over 10 acres of land at Joint Base Balad in Iraq were used for 
burning toxic debris. This is a base, that at the height of its 
operations, hosted approximately 25,000 military, civilian and 
coalition personnel. Among the toxic soup released into the atmosphere 
from Balad were particulates from plastics and Styrofoam, metal, 
chemicals from paints and solvents, petroleum and lubricants, jet fuel 
and unexploded ordinance, medical and other dangerous waste--all in the 
air and being inhaled into the lungs of service members.
  Air samples at Joint Base Balad turned up some nasty stuff: 
Particulate matter--chemicals that form from the incomplete burning of 
coal, oil and gas, garbage, or other organic substances; volatile 
organic compounds such as acetone and benzene. Benzene is known to 
cause leukemia and dioxins which are associated with Agent Orange.
  Our veterans have slowly begun to raise the alarm as they learn why, 
after returning home, they are short of breath, or experiencing 
headaches or other symptoms, and in some cases developing cancer. Many 
other independent organizations have also urged action on this issue, 
including the American Lung Association which has stated:
  Emissions from burning waste contain fine particulate matter, sulfur 
oxides, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds and various 
irritant gases such as nitrogen oxides that can scar the lungs.
  The organizations have called on the VA and Defense Department to 
begin to monitor our troops and veterans who have been exposed.
  Last week I added my voice to that call. The Open Burn Pits Registry 
Act of 2011 will give the VA the tools to help our veterans who are 
suffering as a result of their exposure. Establishing an open burn pit 
registry for those who may have been exposed is just a preliminary 
step. A public information campaign, to help bring veterans forward, 
will also be required. Once veterans are identified in the registry, 
they will be able to receive information about significant developments 
associated with their exposure. Furthermore, the identification of 
affected veterans could help improve the VA's ability to treat and 
understand the causes of these veterans' ailments.
  As was noted this week, the Institute of Medicine released a report 
which concluded that while there was not conclusive evidence of a link 
between burn pits and medical ailments, that there was insufficient 
evidence to rule out a link as well. An online summary of the report 
stated a recommendation that:

       a study be conducted that would evaluate the health status 
     of service members from their time of deployment to Joint 
     Base Balad over many years to determine their incidence of 
     chronic diseases, including cancers, that tend to not show up 
     for decades.

  This registry will help our medical and scientific experts better 
analyze who was exposed and who is suffering. In New Mexico, veterans 
have begun to come forward about their medical conditions. Some, like 
MSG Jessey Baca, a member of the New Mexico Air National Guard who was 
stationed in Balad, Iraq, are facing serious ailments such as cancer 
and chronic bronchiolitis. It is stories like Master Sergeant Baca's 
which have motivated me to take action on this issue and I urge my 
colleagues to hear the stories of veterans like him in all 50 States.
  The Open Burn Pits Registry Act has bipartisan and bicameral support. 
In the House, Representative Akin, a Republican, is sponsoring this 
important piece of legislation with a strong bipartisan group. On the 
Senate side I would like to thank my colleagues who are also addressing 
this important issue facing our veterans. Senator Corker and I, who is 
the Republican lead, have been joined by Senators McCaskill, Bingaman, 
Schumer, Alexander, and Bill Nelson, who have all signed on to lead 
this charge as original cosponsors. In addition, Senator Wyden has also 
indicated that he will join as a cosponsor. I thank them for being 
champions for our veterans suffering from these hidden wounds, and I 
would urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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