Burn Pits And Airborne Hazards

[pacmanx1]

Registry for Veterans who may have been exposed

VA's Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry will allow OEF/OIF/OND and 1990–1991 Gulf War Veterans exposed to burn pit smoke and other airborne hazards to document their exposures and report health concerns. Veterans will enter information through a web-based questionnaire and have the opportunity to obtain an evaluation.

As part of developing this registry, we are asking Veterans to review the proposed questionnaire (263 KB, PDF). Tell us if the draft questionnaire asks the right questions. Submit your comments by August 20, 2013, the new, extended deadline. Read the July 24 Federal Register notice to learn how to comment.

http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/burnpits/action-plan.asp

[Berta]

THANKS Pete ...good info and I hope vets will take the time to prepare a comment on this .

VA reads every comment when we take advantage of this opportunity to have input into VA policy.

Sometimes the VA will follow up in the Federal Register ,with references to specific commenter's remarks..

Veterans, specifically those who can state some first hand accounts and the affects of the burn pits and other environmental hazards they personally have experienced, as well as veterans lawyers, vet reps and advocates can impact,in my opinion, on the way some of these proposed notices and potential amendments to all sorts of VA related issues that affect us all.

I am glad you gave the link not only to the Federal Register (they have had 299 comments all ready) but also the link at VA to the Registry.

I always edit and type my comments into a Office org Doc and then copy and paste into the comment section.You will get a verification that they received the comment ,with an ID number, or just look for it at the Fed Reg site ...might take a day or more before it gets posted there.....

It will take time for anyone to go through the draft questionnaire , to see what they feel should be changed, and I am anxious to read today, what other commenters wrote.

Edited August 6, 2013 by Berta

[Berta]

To add, one of the first comments, from PGW veteran, Jeannette Haynes, really says it all...

Veterans are doing a good job there to comment on where they were, what they were exposed to, and how it has affected them.....

The detailed questionnaire also does a good job ( for the VA) by asking about post service occupations.. VA will look for any post service occupation that could have caused a veteran's exposure and disability to any non military cause....regardless of what type of claim they have....

Also a post service occupation such as farming, and the other occupations listed in the questionnaire , involve exposures to many types of burning and fumes but if a vet has COPD for example, and they were exposed to GW contaminants ,it will take a strong IMO to overcome any VA denials that hinge on post service employment ...an IMO that can successfully state the actual etiology of the COPD was during the Gulf/Iraq/Afganistan War and was excerbated by work situations after service.

[Hollis]

Does this include the Vietnam vets who was exposed to burning pit of general trash and old used medical trash and human waste from the potty?

[Berta]

No,this is for OEF/OIF/OND and 1990–1991 Gulf War Veterans.

Vietnam vets often used any empty containers they could find to wash their clothes in or use for barbeque pits, or for sh-tters.

Sometimes they used empty AO drums.

You raise a good point because maybe this environmental hazard issue in the Gulf would help support any Vietnam vet as well who has a disability directly due to whatever the VA decides might be attributable to burn pits, etc.

"old used medical trash" certainly is a concern too.....probably disposed of during the Gulf War far more carefully then it was in Vietnam.

No,this is for OEF/OIF/OND and 1990–1991 Gulf War Veterans.

Vietnam vets often used any empty containers they could find to wash their clothes in or use for barbeque pits, or for sh-tters.

Sometimes they used empty AO drums.

You raise a good point because maybe this environmental hazard issue in the Gulf would help support any Vietnam vet as well who has a disability directly due to whatever the VA decides might be attributable to burn pits, etc.

"old used medical trash" certainly is a concern too.....probably disposed of during the Gulf War far more carefully then it was in Vietnam.

[Hollis]

I just remember pulling out a old 55 gal drum cut about a 1/3 up that was placed under the crapper and pouring in diesel fuel and setting them on fire. This was done every day when in base TO EVERY shi**** had to be burned.