Marine Corps Times: House Moves to Tighten Rules on Burn Pits

The Marine Corps Times recently reported that the House of Representatives passed a provision in its version of the 2010 defense authorization bill that would prohibit open-air burn pits from operating for longer than 12 months in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The IAVA has officially endorsed the provision, which would help to ensure that deployed troops are not exposed to the dangerous toxins associated with burn pit fumes:

“More than six years into the war in Iraq and eight years into the war in Afghanistan, the U.S. military continues daily disposal of hundreds of tons of war-zone waste in a crude and hazardous manner — open-air burn pits,” Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America said in a statement. “By limiting the use of open-air burn pits, this amendment helps protect members of the armed forces from exposure to potentially hazardous waste while serving their country, and directs the [Defense Department] to account for all of the hazardous materials that can potentially harm our military personnel.”